Guess they're in Love
by yamiskoi
Summary: When Yugi, Yami, Ryou, and Bakura all head out to Seto's cabin for a vacation, will they reveal to each other how they feel? Yaoi, YY RB JS Probably discontinued.
1. Packing

/Yugi to YamiYami to YugiRyou to Bakura Bakura to Ryou Song words

_ Again the burden of losing rests upon my shoulders, and its weight seems unbearable. _

Yugi sighed. His gaze wandered off into nowhere, ignoring the fact that Yami beside him was packing for them both. Yami. Why was his every thought in some way connected or directly focused on him?

Guess he was in love.

But with the other half of his soul? It unnerved him. At first it had seemed to be a crush, resulting from the other being so confident and caring for him. A bit like a 'my hero' flame.

But it wasn't.

He had wanted to tell his yami. He wanted to feel their naked flesh pressed together as they made love. He wanted to wake up in Yami's arms, to have him say that he loved him every day. But what if Yami rejected those feelings? He wouldn't be able to survive it if he deserted him.

Then again, how could a part of your soul abandon you?

_ To cry is to know that you're alive, but my river of tears has run dry. _

"Yugi!" The said boy blinked. He glanced up at his darkness, his insides warming at the sight of the dirty blonde bangs falling into the crimson eyes of alluring pleasures.

"Yes?" Yugi asked. Yami nodded to the phone that lay on their bedside table. It was off the cradle.

_ I never wanted to fool you, no, but a cold heart is a dead heart… _

"It's for you," He replied softly, smiling as his hikari's eyes lit up. It truly was an adorable sight to see an hikari so excited about something. It only seemed to enhance their beauty.

Then the moment was gone. Yugi wrenched the gaze apart, and rushed to the phone. On the pretence that he was searching for his leather pants, Yami crouched down near to the table, listening intently. He sure wished he had the Millennium Ring's power at that point, the one that allowed Ryou – and the Tomb Robber – to hear what was being said from many meters away.

"Hi Jou!" Yugi exclaimed, jumping slightly on Yami's bed in time with his words, "When are you gonna come around?"

_ …And it feels like I've been buried alive by Love. _

Yami shook his head and placed firm hands on Yugi's shoulders to stop him jumping. He mouthed the word 'no' and tackled him onto the bed. Yugi emitted a strangled scream down the phone, and the Pharaoh grinned. He could now hear everything. And hug his aibou whilst doing it.

"Dude, what's that for?" Jou grumbled.

"Oh, just Yami. He tackled me down, and I yelled. Gomen nasai Jou."

"So he pushed you onto the bed, tied your hands together and started screwing you real hard, did he?" Jou said, his voice sincere.

_ If I should die before I wake, pray no one my soul to take. And if I wake before I die, rescue me with your smile. _

"KATSUYA!" Yugi moaned in irritation, deliberately using his friend's first name, "Be that way. Tell Kaiba to come ours and pick us up in ten min, end of story."

And with that he slammed the phone down.

Jou & Seto

"Setti!" Jou cried, "Setti! Yug said we gotta be at his in ten. He sounded really pissed off, too."

Seto's azure eyes turned to gaze into his koi's affectionately. "Of course he would pup. Would you be pleased if he misinterpreted whatever you said into a hentai situation?"

Jou blushed at what he said next.

"I wouldn't mind, so long as that hentai situation was with you."

_ The kiss of vanity blessed me with a spiritual wonder, and fed the Gods of War insatiable. _

In spite of himself, Seto smiled. He drew his lover into him firmly by the hips, and covered Jou's mouth with his own. His tongue ran itself along Jou's lower lip, which was granted entry. Seto duelled the tongue that danced with his own for dominance, which he eventually won.

"Niisan…?"

Seto paused and broke off, Jou stepping back so that Mokuba would feel comfortable.

"Don't worry about me, Isis, Malik and Marik will be looking after me."

"That's what worries me." Seto muttered, hugging his small brother close. "Love you, Mokie." He whispered, almost embarrassed about saying it too loud in front of Jou. Mokuba smiled and snuggled further into his chest.

"Love you big brother."

Bakura & Ryou

"RA BE-DAMN THIS CURSED SHIT!" Bakura hissed, slamming his fist into the alarm clock beside his bed. He raised his hand, and with a flash of light sent the object to the Shadow Realm.

"Bakura!" Ryou groaned, walking in to affirm his suspicions. "Why set that thing so late that you knew we'd be behind with everything, and then send it to the Shadow Realm? You said that after the toaster you wouldn't."

Bakura grumbled something and rolled out of his bed. He yawned widely.

_ To die is to know that you're alive. _

Don't worry Ryou. We don't have to bother all that much anyways. Just need some food and clothes.

Ryou sat down on his bed, next to his dark brown suitcase. That's beyond the point. But I guess you're that way. So…ready to dunk Yami at the beach today?

Bakura became alert at the prospect. Now Ryou had something to bribe him with, he told Bakura to dress, eat, and make sure everything was locked and washed before they went outside to wait. Bakura smiled and obeyed, purely because he liked seeing Ryou so happy. It had been a while since that had happened.

Guess he could actually come to like this thing called a Vacation soon enough.

Yami's koi: sorry about the slight change. This fic was deleted and I don't want it to happen again, so the beginning notes will be limited.

Neutral Man: ecstatic YAY! She had a fic kicked off!

Yami's koi: sod off. Anyways… you may notice my profile's changed too. That's cause I don't wannabe flamed again, either. I'm not upset that it was kicked off, I just feel sorry for you readers having to put up with it. You're the real people who have to pay. So… please R/R? You'll get a plushie… and any submissions for fan art are still accepted!


	2. Arriving

Yami's koi: HOWDY DOODY! I'm back!

Neutral Man: Oh wow. I'm so happy I think I'm gonna let you say you made an error.

Yami's koi: I only noticed when I'd seen it on , but a lyric was wrong. It's 'The kiss of vanity blessed me with a spiritual murder,' regardless of what I typed before. Gomen!

/Yugi to YamiYami to YugiRyou to Bakura Bakura to Ryou ((Author Notes)) _ Song words _

"You aren't coming with us?" Yugi asked, edging towards Ryou slightly, "Why not, Seto? And what about Jou?"

Jou twisted round in his seat, next to Seto in the front, and gave him a sad look.

_ Your tomb is where the heart is I, should have told her… _

"Sorry buddy. I'm gonna go with. He's got this meeting somewhere in America… I think it's either Vegas or Texas…" His eyebrows furrowed for a moment before he shrugged, "Aw, who cares where? All I know is that we're gonna do some serious work, and then some gambling!"

"I wonder what they'll work on… my money's on screaming." Bakura muttered slyly, nudging Ryou slightly. In response Ryou scolded him mentally.

Bakura… so what if they're lovers? You should be happy for them.

Bakura's smirk widened. Oh but I am hikari. In my own, twisted little way. Besides, I just think its funny that they were enemies and once hated each other.

Ryou shot him another look, only this time he couldn't hide his smile.

_ It feels like I've been buried alive by love… _

"EARTH TO RYOU!" Jou screamed, waving his hand in front of his friend's face. "We ain't goin' nowhere till you do up ya belt."

Bakura growled slightly and did up his own belt, glaring very effectively at the blonde. Jou flinched, and nudged Seto to get things going.

_ If I should die before I wake, pray no one my soul to take, and if I wake before I die, rescue me with your smile…_

Aibou… don't look at them, but what do you think about the Tomb Robber? Don't you think he's been acting… well, slightly possessive of Ryou recently? Has Ryou told you anything?

Yugi turned to face his yami slightly. /Nothing other than he wants to challenge you to a Duel when we get to the cabin. I told him you'd accept, of course,/ Yugi added hurriedly at Yami's sharp glance, /I know you too well. You'd never back down from a challenge/

You say it almost wearily. Like it's a curse or something

Yugi blushed and averted the look, praying to the Gods that Yami had NOT noticed his different attitude. Come to think about it, Ryou had been acting even more distant of late, somehow his grades had gotten even better…

Yugi shook his head. He was too tired to figure out these feelings and the ways of his friends. It got so tedious just to focus so much on people's love life, but, then again, it seemed that something was drawing him in, swirling him down until he had to submit.

_ But within me hid a secret so terrible… _

"HAS FEAR SNAPPED YOUR MIND, PHARAOH?" Bakura bellowed, heedless of Ryou's tugging on his arm, "WHY DO YOU LAUGH AT MY CHALLENGE?"

True to his word, Yami was… pissing himself. He held his stomach as he laughed, the ache in his stomach causing him to gasp for air.

"Its…its just so f-foolish!" He managed at last, wiping his eyes, "I mean –you- challenge me – the Game King, Pharaoh and supreme game player of all time, whilst you – a lowly, unworthy Tomb Robber… well, I just hope you know my titles? The Universe's Best Duellist and Game master Award, along with The Hottest Gie on the Planet."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, you Premature, Haughty, Arrogant, Raving, Arsehole Of Hell!" ((Spells Pharaoh.)) Bakura screamed back, "At least I actually worked for my fame and cash, whereas you sat on your arse, produced heirs and shagged the maids! Bet whenever you wanted a son all you needed do was walk down the corridor, and WHAM! A maid, waiting and naked for you."

Yami's eyes narrowed at that, and through the link Yugi could feel his infamous temper rising dangerously.

"I never once had a woman in my bed, therefore I never had an heir. Twat." He added, folding his arms furiously.

Yugi put a hand on his arm and gave him that adorable look. That look which not even Yami could rebel against. His amethyst pools shimmered with a plea; a plea that Yami wouldn't be able to resist once seeing those gorgeous eyes turned up full volume. He winced and turned away, and Yugi smiled, satisfied.

_ To cry is to know that you're alive, but my river of tears has run dry _

Bakura grinned and turned back to Ryou.

"So Ryou, will you be watching me when I covet the Pharaoh's power, or not?"

Ryou considered. Bakura would need restraining with the toughest bouncers in the universe if he lost. And yet he seemed to be the only one who he would listen to in a rage. Much like a wife to her husband in the days of old…

Cabin

_ I never wanted to fool you, no, but a cold heart is a dead heart… _

"Thanks for the ride you little jerks!" Bakura sang, striding in with his and Ryou's luggage. True to Kaiba's words, it was spacious, with a vast living room, which consisted of a mini bar, a large TV with a cinema sound system, furniture, a stereo, and even two duel disks. And this was just one room.

"This is gonna be cool!" Yugi stated excitedly, diving onto the couch happily, "I LOVE it here!"

Yami couldn't help but smile, falling into a long and loving daydream. Ryou however, sweat dropped, and signalled to him that he should come with him upstairs. Reluctantly the rest followed, and were again shocked.

There were five bedrooms in all. Two of them had four single beds in them; the rest with a massive double king sized bed. ((Can you even get those?)) Each was equally large, though one room was miraculously smaller than the rest, thanks to a large cupboard built in from the wall.

"Dude, get me a load of this!" Bakura muttered, before leaping onto the bed and then to the next. Ryou called him to 'heel,' but still his yami wouldn't calm it.

"YAHOO!" Yugi screamed, leaping up onto the bed beside the one Bakura was currently jumping on and jumped. He landed on Bakura's back, pulling him down to the floor with him.

"Your hikari called you to heel. You should have listened." Yugi chided to him seriously, pushing him towards the said light. Bakura growled, but happily went back to Ryou.

Well Yugi, we'd better unpack. Unless the Tomb Robber decides to tell Ryou about how he feels

Yugi flashed his Yami a look of complete confusion. /What feelings, Yami?/

Yami sweat dropped and pulled him into an embrace. Don't worry about it aibou. Just don't go asking Ryou anything yet, if he doesn't

/Doesn't what?/

Yami pulled back and arched an eyebrow, taking a step back to regard his light with curiosity.

Just in case he doesn't like the Tomb Robber and I am mistaken

Yami laughed at the look of realisation that was forming on his hikari's face. Laughing, he sat besides him and then pounced, tickling him effectively. Grinning, Bakura made out to help him, but then decided Ryou was more on his mind. With a shriek, Ryou began squirming.

Exclamations of laughter and squeals could be heard for a long time after.

Yami's koi: Well, that's chapter two, I believe. Here once more for your enjoyment.

Neutral Man: it's the lamest story you have.

Yami's koi: silence. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, and you get a plushie for doing so. Arigato.


	3. Oddities

_/Yugi to YamiYami to YugiRyou to Bakura Bakura to Ryou_

_ Song words of My Immortal _

"Ryou, do you have any idea of how pissed off Yami was after that?" Yugi asked calmly, dragging a comb through the tangled, colourful mess that was his hair.

His friend shrugged. "The only reason he does things like that is to provoke him. Bakura's still depending on the dream that he'll one day reign supreme over the Pharaoh."

Yugi sighed and sat almost sadly onto his bed. Yep, the reminder of Yami had hurt him once more. Ryou frowned when this was noticed, and strode over to sit beside the young hikari.

"That isn't all that's bothering you, Yugi. I've known you for too long now not to see things like this. Has Yami said anything to upset you? Have you fallen out or something? Onegai… talk to me, Yugi." Ryou almost pleaded, acknowledging that his last few sentences ad struck a nerve.

"Why do you assume its Yami? It could be about Jou and Seto not being here." Yugi pointed out, noting Ryou's eyes narrow. When in that kind of a pose, he truly did look like his yami.

_ I'm so tired of being here, suppressed by all my childish fears. _

"Firstly, Yugi, it would never be about Jou and Seto, purely because this wouldn't be a holiday for them. Just another opportunity to screw intensely. Secondly… your problems are always linked to Yami."

Yugi slapped his head at his obviousness. Well, he'd have to drink the bitter piss and confide in Ryou.

"Thing is… Ryou… _WHAT_ the hell is _THAT?" _Yugi whispered, leaning his head slightly downwards.

Yami and Bakura

"SCREW THIS, YOU MURDERING TWAT!" Bakura shrieked, laying down his almighty magic card. Yami peered down at it, and promptly snorted in disbelief.

"The Change of Heart card? How original of you, Tomb Robber. Just say which card you're gonna take and then I can resume kicking your ass. Oh, but look!" Yami grinned. "I have no current monsters on the field. What a bugger for you! Now you can't use it, which means it goes straight to the Graveyard."

Bakura smirked. "No, Pharaoh, it doesn't. I can activate the hidden ability of this card to take a monster card from somewhere else. And you know what that means… I get a GOOOOOODD look at your hand." His eyes darkened. "Now show me."

Yami glared at him, before unleashing a deafening howl.

"BOLLUCKS!"

Yugi and Ryou

Ryou stared very oddly at Yugi.

"I take it Yami's not doing too well in his duel, then."

_ And if you had to leave, I wish that you would just leave, 'cause your presence still lingers here… _

Yugi rolled his eyes. "I can tell. But Ryou? Have you ever gotten that feeling where… your yami is someplace else, but you can feel this really calm and relaxing feeling on your mind? I love that."

Ryou nodded and smiled.

"I know! It feels so warm and secure, doesn't it?" The snowy haired boy commented with a toss of his head. Then his attention wandered back to Yugi's problem, and decided to express his concern on it.

"But Yugi, if you keep things burdened inside of you for so long, then Yami will never be able to fulfil his duty to you as… well, a yami."

Yugi's broad smile faded, and he mentally flinched. 'I gotta tell him now… but what if he laughs and tells Yami? I'd never live with myself if he was so disgusted… and in front of Bakura, too.'

The diminutive Mutou lowered his gaze to the carpet, balling his hands into fists by his sides.

"Promise me you won't laugh?"

Ryou rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Promise."

"Promise you won't tell Bakura?"

"Yugi, I won't tell anyone anything you don't want me to." Ryou said sincerely, shocking his friend at his loyalty. Yugi smiled gratefully, berating himself for his own foolishness.

Yami and Bakura

_… And it won't leave me alone, these wounds won't seem to heal… _

Bakura eyed the Game King through darkened, amused eyes. The look appeared, to Yami, rather evil in the dimming light, and the stare was only broken when Bakura turned to use his Shadow Magic to turn on the lights.

"You really should tell your hikari the truth, Pharaoh," Bakura at length stated, drawing a card directly from his deck and laying it down with a snap, "I am sure his reaction will be the one you desire."

Yami's eyes rose from his hand and he stared at the Tomb Robber in bewilderment… until logic kicked in.

He heaved a large, weary sigh. "How did you find out?" Yami asked, attacking the face down card with his Dark Magician Girl. Bakura's Acid Trap Hole activated, and Yami's card went to the Graveyard whilst Bakura considered the question.

"Well…" He said slowly, regarding each card in his hand with thought, "I guess it's obvious. Yugi's innocent enough to fall for even me. If I gave him the chance to get close enough. Which I wouldn't."

"But you would to Ryou, right?" Yami asked slyly, tactfully changing the victim.

Bakura's mouth twitched with an all too familiar insult, but he restrained himself at the last moment. Could he bring himself to admit to the Game King, his own adversary, that he wanted… loved… Ryou?

_ This pain is just too real… _

Bakura responded with a small grin. "Why so hasty to change the spot light onto someone else, Pharaoh? I take it there _is _something you're trying to hide…"

"NO!" Yami denied, slapping down his Mystical Elf face down in defence mode. "And you didn't answer my question!"

"I'll only answer when I know you've told me your reply honestly!" Bakura snapped, drawing a card and losing three hundred life points when he attacked the Elf with a weaker monster.

Yami sighed, resignedly.

"Okay, so I feel something for Yugi, I-" Yami faltered when Bakura's eyes bore into his own, disbelievingly, "I… okay, I love him. Now YOU!" Yami added, pointing his finger at the muscular counterpart of Ryou sitting opposite him, "You gotta answer me now! Truthfully!"

Bakura gave him a shrug.

_ There's just too much that time cannot erase _

"Firstly, why hide your feelings from Ryou?"

"Why do you hide _your _feelings from Yugi?"

Yami glared at Bakura darkly, finding himself trapped. "Bastard," He instead growled, then realised something. "Hold up… you didn't deny it… so that means you like Ryou!"

Bakura's face turned extremely sour, and then he sighed, passing his turn in their game.

"You're right… I love Ryou…" He mumbled, lowering his eyes to the floor, "And don't you DARE mock me for it."

For one moment, Yami's expression softened in pity for the Tomb Robber. "Bakura, I'll never tell Ryou anything without your word. However, if you tell Yugi anything I've said here tonight… then expect Ryou to ask you some awkward questions."

Bakura grinned and looked up. "Deal."

Ryou and Yugi

"WHAT?!" Ryou exclaimed, his eyes widening. Yugi sweat dropped.

"I haven't said anything yet…"

Ryou blushed… immensely.

"Fine, I'll give you that. I just really wanna know!"

Yugi shot him a dark, haunted look. "You probably won't when you hear it. Maybe you'll hate me for it, which is the reaction I expect from Yami…"

"Yugi, you gotta stop thinking like that. I'm your friend; I'd never hate you. Just as Yami would never leave you."

"Gomen nasai Ryou. I just can't think straight at the moment." Yugi apologised, feeling almost selfish. Ryou shook his head.

"No biggie. I'm not gonna push you into telling me, but… okay, just TELL ME!" Ryou cried, shaking his smaller friend's arm playfully.

Yugi sighed, knowing that Ryou wouldn't relent now that he'd been given the right fuel.

_ When you'd cry I'd wipe away all of your tears, when you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears _

"Truth is…" Yugi said with a sigh, "I love my yami. He's always been there for me, ya know Ryou? He's wiped away my tears, and did whatever he could to get rid of all my fears. Please don't hate me." He whispered.

Ryou shot him a sad smile. "I can't hate you… because I'm gay too. I love Bakura."

Yugi smiled. "I know. Yami pointed out to me all the signs."

"Does that mean I've been obvious?" Ryou asked, panicky. Yugi quickly laid an assuring arm on Ryou's arm.

"No. I only noticed when Yami pointed it out to me, and he's very observant. You can't hide anything from him."

_ And I've held your hand through all of these years _

"You did in the car…" Ryou muttered slyly, grinning evilly. Yugi arched an eyebrow.

"Oh…?"

"I said, you hid something in the car," Ryou said, slightly louder this time, gesturing to his friend's lower half. "Your boner."

Yugi blushed deeply.

_ But you still have… all of me _

Bakura and Yami

"HAHAHA! FUCK YOU! YOUR LIFE POINTS HAVE JUST BEEN REDUCED TO ZERO!" Yami cheered, rising from the table and collecting all of his cards, "Now I'm going upstairs to see my hikari."

Bakura stood there, grabbing his cards with a dark scowl. His usually morbid look returned, then brightened when Yami mentioned the word 'hikari.' He could see Ryou again! And… tickle him again…

"Oi, dumbass!" Bakura yelled, yanking sharply on Yami's ankle by diving towards the bottom of the stairs. With a gasp, Yami plummeted to the floor, allowing Bakura to reach the upstairs sector first. Yami growled, and rose to his feet. He would get Bakura for that. Later.

And before Yami was even halfway through the door, he was knocked to the floor by a small, warm figure pouncing on his form. Yami rolled his eyes slightly and submitted to hugging his light back. He saw Bakura smirking at him evilly, before Yami lifted his middle finger from Yugi's back lazily.

"BAKURA!" Ryou screamed, twitching desperately underneath his yami, "STOP!"

Bakura had leapt on him, pinning him to the bed. With this done, he began to mercilessly tickle his young light…

Yami's koi: WOW, everyone knows who each other loves… apart from the actual person.

Bakura: the Pharaoh swore at me, mortal woman.

Yami's koi: I'm not a woman. I'm a teen girl who's only 13.

Yami: I beat Bakura! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's what happens when you interfere with my power! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Yugi: whispers to Ryou He's gone slightly mad, and -- pinned to wall by Pharaoh's hips I love that.

Yami's koi: o0 Okay… next chapter… will be more exciting than this. Longer too if you want. Plushie of Yugi to reviewers! Luvvies… o


	4. I don't wanna miss a thing

Yami's koi: I accidentally referred to the lead singer from a certain band, and I think that was why this fic was deleted. Well… I guess I can carry on writing notes at the beginning! Yay!

Neutral Man: that sucks.

/Yugi to YamiYami to YugiRyou to Bakura Bakura to Ryou

_ Song words for Aerosmith _

_ I could stay awake just to hear you breathing, Watch you while you are sleeping… _

"Pharaoh!" Bakura hissed, flicking on a light beside his bed. Yami looked up at the whisper, his left-hand still caressing his aibou's cheek softly. Even in the dim light, Bakura could see the desire rampaging through Yami's very being, every vein alight with lust.

"You watch your hikari whilst he sleeps, too?" Bakura asked then, leaning back into a chair he had just summoned from thin air. Yami gave one small nod and continued to stare down at his light. Yugi moved ever so slightly in his sleep, unknowingly nuzzling into Yami's hand.

_ While you're far away and dreaming, I could spend my life in this sweet surrender… _

"It's at times like this you've gotta wonder," Yami said quietly, jolting Bakura out of his dream world when he gazed at his light. "Why do we keep our mouths shut? Some people have no problem in expressing how they feel… but those are the ones who never shut up and make a big deal out of a relationship. Like Anzu, for example."

Bakura made the smallest of smiles, thankful that Yami was too busy staring at his sleeping Yugi to notice.

"I know how you feel. But those people don't always get what they want." Bakura paused to sigh and brushed back some silvery strands of hair from Ryou's eyes. "Its so hard knowing that the one you love is your strongest motivation and yet also your greatest weakness. Especially if you act cold."

_ I could stay lost in this moment forever, Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure… _

"Did you just say act?" Yami muttered, grinning faintly. Luckily Bakura didn't catch the words he had just uttered.

"I know, I put this act on just to make out that I'm still the old merciless Tomb Robber I always have been. Even though I only once met you, Pharaoh, it was a curious meeting. Remember? You were fifteen, it was the Midsummer festival, I danced into the procession and when I got to you, I shook your hand! I was wearing that bloody short kilt thing with those gold tints people liked!"

Yami's eyes widened at that. "I never knew that was you…" He admitted, realising just how good at deception Bakura truly was, "But… my hikari…"

_ I don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep, Cause I'd miss you baby, And I don't wanna miss a thing… _

Bakura's eyes softened. "What about him?" When it came to their light's, they were probably the only thing the two would agree on.

"I feel so heavy in my stomach," Yami explained with a sigh, withdrawing his hand from the moonlit cheek of his aibou to instead follow the curve of Yugi's hair with his fingers. "And I feel… strange. I can't describe it."

"Pharaoh, I think you should go to sleep," Bakura chided seriously, allowing himself a small smile, "Yugi will get you up early. There's no doubt about that… he'll be so hyper not even you will be able to restrain him."

_ Cause even when I dream of you, The sweetest dream will never do, I'd still miss you baby, And I don't wanna miss a thing… _

Yami sighed again, settling into his own bed. Of course, not before he shot Yugi a lustful stare.

"Pharaoh?"

Yami groaned slightly, opening his eyes to refuse the doors of sleep to open then. "What?"

"Peel me off of this Velcro seat, will ya? I'm sure as hell I can't do it by myself." And, even in the darkness, Bakura could sense Yami's sweat drop, amusement and yet exasperation.

_Morning_

"PHHAAAAAAARRRRRRRAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! WAAAAAAKKKKKKKEEEEEEEE UUUUUUUUUPP!!!!"

"Nani?" Yami yelped, jolting forwards into a sitting position from his peaceful sleep. As a form of habit from Egypt, he always slept shirtless; showing his perfectly tanned chest off to the three who stood around him. It seemed Bakura had a most interesting way of waking one up… a way in which he would regret greatly. Later.

_ Lying close to you, feeling your heart beating, And I'm wondering what you're dreaming… _

"Why the FUCK did you wake me like that?" Yami asked coldly, gripping the bangs to the left side of his face, "I was having a real ace dream."

Bakura smirked. "You can tell," He muttered to Yami in Egyptian, so that the two innocents behind him would not hear him, "Check out your sheets."

Yami glanced down and groaned groggily. "Bollucks," He said, almost expressionlessly, though this time in perfect English.

"And anyways, you've been asleep so long that we'd all begun to fear that you'd lost your life, dear Yami," Ryou said mockingly, thrusting a pillow in the Pharaoh's face. "Now get dressed! You're gonna help me do breakfast!"

"Am I?" Yami asked mildly, grabbing his discarded jeans and a new shirt, "News to me."

/Yami, you will help Ryou, won't you? I don't want Bakura to start anymore fights whilst we're here. I mean, you've been rivals for over five thousand years, can't you just learn to get along?/ Yugi pleaded into his mind, when Ryou shot Yami a reproachful look. Yami grinned and shook his head, finally managing to find himself some fresh socks.

"I don't mean to be evil, but he woke me like that, and he's gonna pay. I'm sorry aibou, but that's the way things work." Yami explained, when both Bakura's had gone downstairs.

_ Wondering if its me you're seeing, Then I kiss your eyes, and thank God we're together. _

Yugi emitted a loud sigh, and turned away so that his darkness could dress without feeling too uncomfortable. Ah, but if only he knew, just how comfortable… perhaps _too _comfortable… it was for Yami.

For several moments Yami did not even make the slightest effort to get himself dressed. He'd much rather have Yugi curl up into his arms, naked and submissive for him, willing to make love until both were too exhausted for any more.

Though, of course, reality did not seem to comply with any of Yami's wishes. With a shuddering breath himself, the Pharaoh retrieved his tight leather and numerous buckles. He would be able to dwell on this later.

Later… with a groan, the Game King realised just what that was translated as. They would be going onto the beach, just a ten-minute walk away from the cabin. The main problem of this would be having to restrain himself from taking Yugi down into the sand and kissing him, stroking that bare chest of his.

_ And I just wanna stay with you, In this moment forever, forever and ever. _

/Yami? You'll have to hurry unless you want another repeat of this morning/ Yugi chided, with a small tilt of his head.

'I know,' Yami thought to himself, 'I will have to hurry if I want to have you in my arms. The wet sheets I can live with.'

_On the way to the beach_

"So I guess this means, conclusively, that Yami is a mother fucking cock sucker who can barely lift a finger in the kitchen," Bakura summarised, talking down Yugi's cell to Jou unenthusiastically. Ryou gave him a fake punch his way, where Bakura simply pretended to be hurt.

"I DID help today making breakfast, didn't I, Ryou?" Yami asked, turning to face the silvery haired beauty. Ryou smirked at him, such a face resembling Bakura too much for the Pharaoh's liking.

"No comment." He said simply, jumping onto a large rock and peering out into the distance. "Now, according to my calculations… we are approximately one metre into the sand of the beach."

Yugi blinked. He and the others had not noticed just how very close they were to the ocean. Nevertheless, he responded by jumping onto the rock and, in the process, knocking Ryou into Bakura's arms. Now it was his time to smirk, when both pale Duellists blushed immensely. Bakura hung up on Jou and continued to blush down at his younger counterpart.

_ I don't wanna close my eyes. I don't wanna fall asleep cause I'd miss you baby… _

Good one, aibou. Another few months or so and you may overtake even me in torturing skills yet.Yami said with a grin, humming the tune to a song he simply adored form the moment the introduction had begun. It was, in his opinion, the greatest ballad ever to be written.

Yugi shot an almost sceptic look in his darkness' direction, before finding himself being tackled down to the ground by the Tomb Robber. Yugi giggled loudly as he found all his weak points being exploited, every nerve tormented into making him laugh.

At this Yami growled. He wrenched the chocolate-eyed male off his hikari, before shooting him a death glare.

"No one but me gets to tickle my light," he warned, before taking Bakura's place and hearing the joyous ringing of laughter float through the gorgeous smelling air. Yami settled on Yugi's hips, keeping him in place, before leaning down and torturing the duellist below. He smiled when Yugi's body arched up, attempting desperately to escape from his yami's hands.

_ And I don't wanna miss a thing, cause even when I dream of you, the sweetest dream will never do… _

However, it wasn't long before Yami's current… position… took its effects on his body. One moment he was enjoying hearing his aibou giggling sweetly beneath him before he retreated, afraid that either he – or, even worse, Bakura – would notice. Yugi shot him a quizzical look, yet relieved at the same time.

"I feel you have been tickled enough… for now," Yami said slyly, smirking at his hikari's expression to THAT.

"Pharaoh! Come on, you're gonna miss everything we're doing!" Bakura screamed back, now a safe distance away from Yami. Yami glanced down at his light.

"I know a good way to get around this dilemma…" He smirked. Without warning, he picked his hikari up by the waist, and hauled him over his shoulder. Then he began to run, heedless to the screaming emitting from his hikari's mouth. The same mouth that Yami wanted to taste so badly…

_ I'd still miss you baby, and I don't wanna miss a thing… _

Yami shook his head. Why, in all the Realms of Ra, did he have to be cursed with such a hentai mind? Then again… he wouldn't get so many kinky and satisfying dreams…

'Bad Yami! You shouldn't be thinking about_ that_…' Yami scolded, eventually catching up with the Tomb Robber and his Ryou. He unceremoniously dropped Yugi onto a sun bed, half-heartedly listening to what Ryou was saying about this beach.

"Kaiba owns a part of this! That means, we can--"

"What, he owns about one grain of sand? How AMAZING!" Bakura cried sarcastically, scowling darkly at the Parasol shading them. Such things were for the weak. And he definitely was not one of them. Casually he lifted his hand up, which caused Ryou to stop.

"Just what the hell are you doing, Bakura?" He asked, in a voice too dark to be taken lightly. The Tomb Robber indifferently glanced back, grinning.

Just getting rid of a small inconvenience. Why Ryou… do you actually want one of these stupid… umbrella things?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I happen to burn very easily in the sun, even with lotion.

Bakura allowed himself a small smile, trying to imagine Ryou with a tan. He highly doubted that someone so pale was physically capable of attaining one.

_ I don't wanna miss one smile, I don't wanna miss one kiss _

Still, Bakura could not help himself. He soon found himself dreaming of that same angelic body beneath his, covered in sweat and his kisses, his mouth moaning for more before being covered with Bakura's own. Whether tanned or not, Ryou was still, arguably, the most beautiful boy ever to grace this Earth.

And yet with dreaming comes a great sadness. It had been innumerable amounts of times when Bakura had awoken with damp sheets, sweat crowing his forehead and the eventual feeling of depression consuming him. The same, of course, held true for the Game King.

_ Well, I just wanna be with you, Right here with you, just like this… _

Bakura's smirk faded, and he fell back onto his sun bed with an almost pointless thud. The only reason he lived was because of his hikari, and that was the way he desired to keep thing. For if Ryou were to go… then what would he do? Suicide seemed like an extremely tempting option. Yet, if Bakura completed his duty as planned, and managed to avoid Ryou being placed in any form of harm, then nothing would become of the tenshi other than happiness.

Bakura?

Bakura closed his eyes, concealing the naked emotions in them. Hai?

Ryou fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment, finally stuttering:

Um… would you be able to… to… put some lotion on my back please?

_ I just wanna hold you close, Feel your heart so close to mine… _

Bakura released a very quiet groan. Just what he needed. Many things could go wrong with this sort of scenario…

Fortunately, however, Bakura wasn't willing to back down from a golden opportunity such as this one. He would just have to be EXTRA careful…

_ And stay here in this moment, For all the rest of time… _

Bakura: I am very OOC. I am never careful.

Yami's koi: I know. But, I think everyone prefers it if I add a little bit of OOC-Ness, right? Readers cough

Neutral Man: ha. Ha. Ha. You suck.

Yami's koi: Bakura! NM just said that Ryou is the most ugliest-

Bakura: HOW DARE YOU!!! Chases NM

Yami: I'm OOC… slightly.

Yami's koi: EVERYONE IS!! It's not as if I don't like you in the anime/manga, but I… know that you love Yugi. Conclusively, you wanna love him. Plushie to reviewers, and… fan art is still okay to submit.


	5. At the beach Bakura gets kinky

/Yugi to YamiYami to YugiRyou to Bakura Bakura to Ryou Song words to Bowling for Soup's Belgium

_ Lately I feel so small, or maybe it's just that my bed has grown… _

Bakura flipped open the cap of the lotion and spread some onto his hands, attempting frantically to banish any thoughts of slightly more… hentai… situations, in which a lid would be opened in such a manner.

Yami, however, seemed to be handling this situation perfectly. He had already spread the sticky, highly irritating cream onto Yugi's body and was now swimming with him in the sea. They had swam quite far out, so that when a wave would rise, they would jump it, swimming forwards at the same time to prevent them both going backwards. The game in itself looked pretty pointless, but both were having the time of their lives. Both forms could, as far as Bakura could tell, touch the floor with either their toes or feet, so their jumps got higher with every fresh wave.

Still wondering at how Yami could be so quick at completing such a non-innocent task of stroking his hikari's back, Bakura set to work… and immediately discovered why Yami had been so quick.

The texture of Ryou's skin was… beautiful. It was almost like silk, silk with the smallest hint of velvet framing the edges. The pale skin, broken only by the odd bruise he had gained by playing soccer, was flawless. Not even an angel's wings would be so pure and beautiful to behold.

_ I never noticed it before, but you were there so how was I to know…?_

Bakura's smile widened, though faded considerably when he discovered that his tenshi's back was well done with lotion. Ryou seemed to have noticed it too, for he rose and straightened, before turning and pulling Bakura to his feet.

"Come on, Kura! We gotta go swim!" Ryou cried happily, pulling a highly amused, slightly scared but very delighted Bakura behind him. Of course, the Tomb Robber's hands were slightly sticky from the applying of sun-cream, yet Ryou still savoured the touch.

When both paddled slightly in the sea, Ryou paused. It was so cold…

Ryou, unless you want me to push you in, I suggest you get that pale body of yours into the water, now! Bakura ordered, eager to make small 'accidents' occur within the water. Obediently, almost like a puppy, Ryou slowly sank to his knees in the water, squealing at the icy cold touch.

His yami, however, seemed to be having the time of his life. He stood above him, laughing his snowy white head off, wading in until the water just jutted against his upper thighs, taking his time to get into the water fully.

_ That the single bed was always meant for two? _

"Come on, Bakura! Be a man and dive!" Yami dared, screaming. Bakura shrugged and promptly completed the Pharaoh's pathetic dare.

Or, at least, that would be what it was, until Bakura actually felt the coldness of the water around his skin. He opened his mouth to cry out, but instead got a mouthful of salt water. With a very annoyed look set on his face, Bakura rose to the surface.

"Oh, you're getting it, bastard!" He screamed, this time jumping forwards to swim towards the Pharaoh who, consequently, had begun to comprehend the extent of Bakura's almighty, legendary wrath. He too began to swim, Yugi close behind him.

"Come back here and face me like a man!" Bakura mocked, lunging forwards one more time to grab Yami's ankle and pull him into his chest. He locked his arms around the struggling form and, with no more preliminaries, dunked him under the water.

Yugi!…

Yugi flashed an image into Yami's mind of he shaking his head in pity.

_ And now you're half way around the world, and I'm just a day behind. _

/Poor, poor Yami. Don't worry, he won't kill you. Ryou won't allow it/

Oh, and what about you? Would you let him kill me?Yami asked playfully, feeling his body being freed from Bakura's. Thankfully he floated up to meet with fresh air once more.

"Bakamono!" Ryou was yelping, shooting under water to avoid Bakura's torture. Or, rather to add more tension to things.

"We'll see about that then…" Bakura growled, before diving after his light, easily surpassing Ryou's fairly slow underwater pace. Yugi could just make out a very blurred image of Ryou being grabbed and yanked up to the surface with Bakura.

"SYIAH!" Bakura screamed, right in Ryou's ear. His chibi tenshi yelped and, whist recovering, found himself lifted into the air, and thrown a good solid ten feet away from his darkness. Naturally, the spray from Ryou's landing screened where he was heading and, before Bakura could gloat, his head was submerged beneath the waters.

Yugi sweat dropped.

"They're bloody mental," He declared, finding nothing else to say. Yami smiled down at him. Suddenly, the Pharaoh jumped onto Yugi's body, taking him down into the depths of the water. If Bakura could have fun in such temperatures, so could they.

_ Nothing seems to fill the hole that I've had since you've left my side. _

/Yami!/ Yugi squealed, when Yami grabbed his shoulders and kept him under whilst he rose to the surface for air. To prevent his comeuppance from being too great, Yami shortly released Yugi's shoulders and saw his hikari rise for oxygen.

/Ass hole/ Yugi snarled, darting forwards to do the same to his yami. The Pharaoh dodged and, taking a great personal risk, pushed Yugi under once more.

I take it that you do not appreciate this, my chibi hikari?Yami huskily asked, pulling Yugi back to the surface. 'Fuck, I sounded WAY too aroused then… if he notices, I've got some explaining to do.'

Fortunately, Yugi seemed too preoccupied with gaining air to note much else than Yami's voice, let alone the tone.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! PHARAOH'S GOTTA CRUSH!" Bakura teased, struggling slightly with his hikari. They seemed to be wrestling with one another, both equally intent to get the other beneath the surface before themselves.

Yami growled, before an interesting idea entered his head. A bit of discreet flirting would not harm anyone, would it? Taking Yugi's hand and holding his close, he called back:

"Bloody hell, Tomb Robber, how did you guess? Is it just the way that I'm all over him that gave me away? Or… was it my light that managed to do that for you?" Yami shot a fake annoyed glance at his blushing Yugi, and smiled.

_ You'll always be my little girl, though I can't hold you tonight… _

Bakura smirked. "As a thief, I am good at finding what is hidden. And, your erection isn't."

Yami grinned. "Neither is yours."

Of course, this was a very tactful way of getting their hikari's to look at their arousal area to find out if the yami's did actually have erections. And, they didn't. Finding this as a great opportunity…

BAKURA! I AM **_SO_** GONNA KILL YOU WHEN I GET SOME AIR!!

And what makes you think that you'll get it? Bakura mocked, pulling his hikari up from his waist. Never believe that I show mercy. I never do with my enemies.

Ryou faked a hurt look. "Oh, so I am an enemy? Fine. You weren't a good fucker anyway. Ja ne!" Ryou began to swim away from his darkness, deliberately showing off his cute ass to the slightly blushing Tomb Robber. That ass did look nice to fuck…

"I gotta stop thinking, Ryou…" Bakura began once more, talking more to Yami than to his light, "That you, for some reason, love YUGI MUTOU!"

"Get off of it, Tomb Robber!" Yami snapped playfully, "He fucks me. No one else. And I'm not having a foursome, sod that. Not with you."

Bakura shot him an exasperated look. "The only way your mind thinks, Pharaoh, is down there!" He pointed to Yami's groin.

_Ryou and Yugi, 20 minutes later_

"What's wrong, Ryou?"

Ryou grimaced slightly as he squeezed water from his silvery locks, gesturing to Yami and Bakura.

"What's with them? They're actually being civil towards each other!"

Yugi sighed and rolled his eyes slightly. So THAT was all this was for? Some lousy talk about Bakura acting nice? Man, this sucked…

_ And now you're half way around the world. _

"Ryou, I thought you were begging Bakura to be friendly in the limo yesterday! What's gotten into you, is it a bad thing? Jealous because you think my yami is sexier?"

Ryou grimaced again. "He'll never be nicer than my Kura. Anyway… I didn't actually expect him to listen to me! I'm wondering if the Pharaoh put something in his breakfast… and took some accidentally for himself. What do you think?"

"I think you've lost it," Yugi sad seriously, sipping some Pepsi Max for effect rather than thirst. "Or, what ever you had left of your sanity, it's gone."

_Bakura and Yami_

"Either way, they're beginning to suspect that something's up. We're actually being nice and they're concerned? What do they take me for?" Bakura asked, slamming his fist against the water's surface. Water splashed into Yami's eyes, and he grinned.

"I think I know how to solve that," He murmured, before raising his voice to a shout: "I'M GONNA GET YOU FOR THAT ONE, TOMB ROBBER!"

And with that startling Bakura, Yami pushed his head under.

_ And I'm just a day behind. _

_Back at the shore… _

"See, Ryou? Nothing to worry about!" Yugi said, standing. "So… wanna see how Bakura reacts to being dunked?"

Ryou shot him an exasperated look.

_Later, 7:30_

"Since you lost twice in a row duelling me, and once to Yugi… I feel that Bakura should be our cook for this evening, don't you?" Yami asked in a tone that suggested it was a rhetorical question. "See, everyone agrees with me! Now, DO IT!"

Bakura growled and rose off his seat, darting upstairs.

Kura, why have you gone up there again…? Ryou moaned, his stomach so hungry that it was almost painful. He desperately needed his food almost as much as he wanted Bakura. The only difference would be that food would be something he could actually get and own, then devour. ((Yami's koi: Wow! Ryou's a cannibal!))

_ I wake up in the night and I turn around to find that you're not there. _

"HI SUE!" Bakura cried, in a very high-pitched voice. What Ryou saw then… he would never forget.

Bakura wore a small piece of cloth around his waist to cover his member, and another, slightly larger piece to cover his crack. He was completely shirtless, revealing his beautifully tanned, muscled chest. In his hand he carried a very furry feather duster. If Ryou was not mistaken, a white scar shot across his left side, about seven inches long. Although the scar in itself looked quite horrifying, and painful to bear, Ryou immediately liked it. ((Yami's koi: just IMAGINE him. Drools…))

Yugi grinned. "And where did you manage to acquire such a… revealing… handkerchief?"

Bakura smirked, hearing Yami snort behind him. "Never you mind." He glanced over Yugi again. His shirt said, 'I lay last night, watching the stars, when I thought, where the HELL is my ceiling?' "Cool shirt. But not as cool as my clothing!"

"Or lack of," Ryou finally managed to say, eyeing Bakura's body hungrily one last time before he could feel his gaze upon him. "Are you really going to cook in that?"

"Oh, you bet! And I'll clean the cabin with my kinky feather duster."

Yami was… unable to conceive what he was beholding. Bakura in… a… handkerchief? What an obvious way of seducing someone? Why didn't he just come down in a thong with some chains and whips declaring his love for Ryou: wouldn't that be more of an obvious hint?

_ I just like to watch you sleep, and lay by you, I love to feel you near. _

Yugi grinned and nudged Yami into looking at Ryou's face. He was… delighted. Yet it seemed that it was only Bakura who had not noticed it.

Yami cleared his throat. "Well, Bakura… apart from looking like a dick… I would say that you've finished this costume well. You look just like him."

Bakura arched an eyebrow, his stance becoming fierce and very reflective on how he felt. His arms folded, and one hip fell slightly to one side. The cloth slipped slightly, which did not help Ryou's current… heated… state.

"And just who would he be?" Bakura asked quietly, finding no one he could recall whom even looked remotely like this.

"MARIK!" Yami roared, ducking as the aggravated Tomb robber threw a cushion, then throwing slightly heavier things. This was when the phone began to ring.

"I'll bloody get it," Yugi muttered, picking up the phone. "Moshi-moshi?"

"Hey Yug! How ya doin'? 'As Yami killed Kura yet?"

Yugi smiled at the familiar accent. "Hi Jou. No, he hasn't died. But Bakura is wearing a hanky for clothing right now, holding a feather duster. All we need now is a pole and then he can do us an enticing striptease."

_ I think I'm going crazy, and everyday the vision starts to grow. _

"Ya really not innocent, huh Yug? Anyways… Seto asked me to ask you… if ya had gotten any more luck with Yami."

Yugi blinked. Okay, now what was that supposed to mean?

"Yug, don't play dumb. I saw you staring at him in da car yesterday!"

"And I can't look at my own yami because…?" Yugi asked, stalling for time desperately. Jou had the reputation of being one of the loudest blabbermouths ever… and would tell EVERYONE he knew. It wouldn't surprise him if he begged Seto to have an aeroplane soar into the sky with a banner streaming behind declaring Yugi's love.

"Seto's gonna talk to ya, Yug… an' ya can't hide nothin' from a CEO." Jou ended abruptly, before Seto came on the line.

"Okay Yugi, quit bluffing. I know how and why you like Yami, and I've known for a long time now. Probably before even you realised what you were feeling. So… you said that Bakura is wearing a tiny item of clothing, right?"

Seto Kaiba. Always so direct to the point that others are so afraid to reach. Fuck, if Yugi hadn't have been so desperate, he would have slammed the phone down there and then.

Yugi took a deep breath. If not even Seto's plan didn't work, then nothing else would.

"Just tell me what I have to do."

_ I never noticed it before, but you were there so how was I to know…? _

Yugi could almost see Seto's victorious smirk appear on his face. "Good. Now… don't mess up! This could be your only chance, Yugi…"

And in the space of less than three minutes, Yugi's face went from his usual pale tone to a cute blush. And it was still rising when he hung up, and climbed the stairs to put this plan into action.

Yugi? Where're you going?

/Yami… wait a few moments. Please…/ Yugi whispered, quite seductively for he. If Yami was embarrassed, or actually noticed the change, then he did not show it through their link.

Fine, aibou. Now… back to making Bakura feel like an ahou.

_ … That the single bed was always meant for two? _

Yugi gulped slightly and closed the door to where he kept his clothes. With several spare rooms at their disposal, it had been decided that their clothes could be spread around different parts of the house.

Yugi turned right at the top of the stairs and opened the door facing him. Here was where his clothes were kept. Also in this room was a hammock, and trampoline. Then… Yugi had yet another light bulb. Grinning, he crouched down, and braced himself to pull.

_Downstairs_

What the fucking hell…?! Bakura screamed into Ryou's mind, turning and gasping at what he saw. ((This part is so predictable…))

_ And not just anyone… it was meant for me and you. _

Yugi looked almost like him. His shirt was currently being shrugged off his shoulders, then tossed away to land on the couch beside the stunned form of the Pharaoh. The small piece of material tied around his waist had slipped quite far below his belly button, yet trailed down to the middle of Yugi's thighs. Yugi smirked and produced from behind his back…

Handcuffs.

Yami blushed highly. Not only was the sight getting him highly… aroused… but Yugi had managed to save those vibrant, fluffy pink handcuffs from last summer? He'd actually accepted the dare and not only bought them himself… but also kept them?! Where the FUCK had he managed to keep them?

Yugi turned to face Yami, and the dark counterpart gasped inwardly. Yugi's amethyst orbs were overly bright in the light, enhanced further by the glitter Ryou had scattered across his face earlier. His chest was revealed and, although not muscular like both yami's, was beautiful to look at. Yami's opinions only increased when regarding every inch of his practically bare body talked solely to… him.

_ And now you're half way around the world, and I'm just a day behind. _

Yugi grinned and approached Yami silently. When their faces were a foot apart, his smirk faded into a smile.

"Now do you understand why I couldn't let you upstairs with me?"

Yami nodded mutely. Yugi smirked most unlike to himself, and glanced over at Bakura. His mouth was still open, and he seemed unable to say anything.

"Give me… give… me…" Bakura shook his head, trying again. "Give me… something to… erase this night… from… my memory…"

Ryou grinned and rose to stand beside Yugi. "Then for that, we'll need alcohol."

Bakura sighed and rolled his eyes. "After I've made the dinner, watashi no hikari. Only then… and no sooner."

_After dinner_

"Yeah… kinda surprising, isn't it? That Bakura has finally stopped sending objects to the Shadow Realm and begun to cook with them." Ryou explained again, his pride surging throughout his entire being. Since the Tomb Robber was currently out purchasing the beer, this had left Yami, Yugi and Ryou… all alone with each other. ((I was a walking contradiction there, huh?))

_ Nothing seems to fill the hole that I've had since you've left my side… _

Yami arched an eyebrow and shrugged. "The meal was average. But… what I wanna know is when are you gonna tell the Tomb Robber about how you feel?"

Ryou bowed his head.

"Am I really being obvious?" He asked at last, to no one in particular. His dejected form slumped further down into his seat, and his head rose slightly. "Am I?"

"Of course not!" Yugi said immediately, before Yami could hint otherwise. "Bakura's just too thick-headed to see how you feel so clearly. And he's afraid of showing his own feelings."

Ryou glared at him. "Now you're being a walking contradiction!" ((Hey! That's stealing! ))

_ You'll always be my little girl, though I can't hold you tonight… _

Yugi blinked. "How do you mean?"

Ryou shot him an exasperated look that asked, 'Are you being fucking serious?' Without wording this, he began to speak once again.

"Earlier you said Bakura was being slightly obvious about things in your head. Like him appearing in that… whatever he was wearing. Now you're saying he's having difficulty in showing those kind of feelings! Make up your bastard mind!"

I still think I should have dared him to go outside to buy booze in that… thing. Yami muttered, barely concentrating on Yugi. If he saw his aibou's precious body so revealed one more time… he would most probably… pounce.

_ And now you're half way around the world, and I'm just a day behind. Lately I feel so small, or maybe it's just that my bed has grown… _

Yug smiled slightly at his Pharaoh's comments before continuing, yet Ryou had input first.

"And BAKURA being obvious? I know that I'm going crazy, but what the fuck about you, Yug? You're wearing a piece of cloth the size of a pea, with fluffy handcuffs being your back! Who do you want to get, hmmm?"

Yami tensed, acting. "Maybe we should ask Ryou to be our bridesmaid, Yugi."

Yugi's eyes shifted to look into the Game King's, and he blinked continuously. "You never asked me to marry you!"

_ Never noticed it before, but how was I to know… and now you're half way around the world… _

Yami shrugged. "Sure, okay then. Just keep on denying it and no more sex for us. And without any sex, you won't release any sperm and then your dick will explode and then you'll die."

Silence.

"Was this a bad time to come back?" Bakura asked, holding several bags full of alcoholic beverages in his hands.

Yugi bit his lip to prevent him from laughing aloud. This did not quite stop the cheesy grin appearing on his face, however, and the Tomb Robber noticed this. He smirked in response.

"So… it was YOU who he was talking about his non-existent sperm then, huh?"

_ And I'm just a day behind. Nothing seems to fill the hole that I've had since you've left my side… _

Yugi blushed, and his shoulders shook with the effort it took not to burst into incurable fits of laughter. Yami noticed this, and, with his sly grin fixed on his lips, pounced on his chest. This action… only seemed to arouse him further, and who wouldn't get excited? Yugi was beneath him, practically naked, and he was on top, like he'd always wanted… and he had the current power to do anything that he pleased. Yami rose off the small Duellist below and backed off, blushing intensely.

"Gomen nasai, aibou," He said softly, almost upset. Yugi sat up and gave him a heart-wrenching look. He looked so… lost… now that Yami was away from him.

Kura, DO something!

_ You'll always be my little girl, though I can't hold you tonight… And now you're half way around the world, and I'm - _

Bakura shot his perfect tenshi a look of fake disgust. There's nothing in here I would like to fuck. Besides… OH! You mean do something about this awkward silence… well, since it's you… okay.

Bakura inhaled a large breath, and released it in the form of…

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" He then proceeded onwards to dance around the room, discarding his shirt as he went, singing along to a song happy in its tune, yet holding a slightly hentai meaning to it.

"…So how was I to know that the single bed was always meant for two? And not just anyone… it was meant for… ME AND YOU!!" He sang, very much out of tune, and pointed to Ryou on the last three words. Ryou blushed… and didn't know how to react when Bakura beckoned him over to him. The Tomb Robber leapt onto the table and began to dance, still singing both verbally and through their link, all the while still begging for Ryou to dance with him.

_ -Just a day behind. Just a day behind. Just a day behind. Just a day behind… _

Ryou gulped, whilst Yugi encouraged him. What should he do…?

Neutral Man: You'll get one plushie of Ryou and Bakura hugging for reviewing, and another for Christmas of whatever you want!

Yami's koi: yep! Ya know, I got bored the other day and made a Ryou plushie from socks… is that wrong?

Bakura: yeah.

Yami's koi: Um… I know its kinda asking a lot, but um… if any of you gies would like to do me some fan art, then I'd be more than happy to receive it! I'd love to see what my fic has inspired…

Bakura: probably a load of bull because of the lack of fluff.

Yami's koi: well maybe I'll ask if they can show a cute kiss of Yugi and Yami, or Ryou and Bakura! Or, perhaps, one of when you were in your hanky! Or when you were shirtless at the beach!

Bakura: blinks

Yami's koi: and finally, I'd like to wish all my reviewers, current, past and future, a very Merry Christmas, and a kick-ass New Year! LUVVIES!


	6. I'd do anything

Yami's koi: Hiya gies! What's cooking?

Neutral Man: er… food? Or maybe Ryou's body?

Yami's koi: you'd like to see Ryou covered in sweat and oil, then?

Bakura: NO ONE GETS TO SEE MY RYOU NAKED AND COVERED IN SWEAT, APART FROM ME!

Yami's koi: this fic was off for some time due to the small mention of a person who exists in real life. Who I can't name. Um… still OOC-Ness!

/Yugi to YamiYami to YugiRyou to Bakura Bakura to Ryou

_ Song words to Simple Plan's 'I'd do Anything' _

_ Another day is going by… _

Yami smirked at the sight before him. Bakura was… stripping back into his hanky, all the while still beckoning for Ryou to dance with him.

Ryou was aware that he was blushing, but what else could he do? He could barely move. Bakura's wild, untameable beauty shrouded the teen in a warm blanket of deep dreams, with his naked chest only enhancing those ideas. Ryou sighed, blocking out all the noise for just one moment. In this time he absorbed once more the sight of Bakura's body.

The face, usually cold and terrifying for others, yet warm and compassionate to him, and only him, was more beautiful than the moonlight's purest of rays. Then, the upper body… the arms that were strong enough to keep him held tightly against his body for what would be predicted as an age, the chest that was also muscular and… hot. Then, Ryou's eyes travelled to the lower regions… and allowed his mind to run riot.

Ryou did not know what to do again. He took a deep breath, got off his seat… and ran out of the door, and into the night.

_ I'm thinking about you all the time… _

Bakura stopped singing. He finally acknowledged what an idiot he was making of himself, and stepped off the table. The Tomb Robber then walked to the door and wrenched it open, highly embarrassed.

"Ryou? I've stopped dancing now! You can come back in!"

Yami smirked and joined him at the door. "Don't worry, I'll restrain him with my almighty strength, he won't bite you!" He called after Ryou, into the semi-darkness of the night.

'I wish.' Bakura thought, smiling ever so slightly. He even managed to forget about Yami's near insult.

Ryou? Bakura asked uncertainly, boldly striding to the small fence that surrounded the cabin. He stepped over the bricks and found his footing on a large rock nearby. "RYYYOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU?" He bellowed, his voice echoing off the nearby walls, before spreading out into the open space to his left, to the road. RYOU!

_ But you're out there, and I'm here waiting… _

The King of Thieves was beginning to get slightly scared now. If Ryou got hurt because of him, a now ridiculous song and piece of clothing… well… he would literally die.

"RYOU!" Yugi yelled now, stepping out into the reasonably warm night, forgetting about his lack of clothing. "Come on, this isn't funny anymore!"

Yami's small grin faded. Ryou often obeyed whatever Bakura asked of him because he knew that his darkness would worry… and that was something the Tomb Robber did not appreciate being. He may have confided in someone – his enemy, oddly – yet this didn't mean that he was about to parade about it.

/Yami… Ryou could get hurt/

Yami's eyes slipped to a close. He visualised them both in his own, maze-like Soulroom, and they both materialised there. He opened his ruby-like orbs to absorb the frightened features of his hikari.

I know. But Ryou's responsible, he knows that there are… possible dangers outside, especially at night

Yugi shot him an uncharacteristically dark look, before sinking down onto a nearby step, a mere one of many that still led to traps and forbidden memories, still remaining unlocked until the right time was nigh.

/That wasn't exactly what I needed to hear Yami, but thanks. It's only seemed to feed my concerns/

_ And I wrote this letter, in my head… _

Yami smiled faintly and sat on a step above his aibou, pulling him onto his lap, embracing him from behind. Yugi didn't protest, and leaned into the Pharaoh's chest with a small sigh. For a moment of bliss, Ryou's disappearance meant nothing. In fact, the worry had already fled his mind… until it came soaring back, like a boomerang being faithful to its function.

"What are we going to do…?" Yugi asked, leaning his head on his darkness' shoulder to look into his eyes, upside-down. Yami shrugged slightly.

"I don't know," Yami whispered, regret filling his body at what he had to say next, "But we can't stay here for too long… the bakamono might notice."

Yugi's small smile faded into a look of anxiety, and the Pharaoh groaned… just what he had warned himself not to say… or mention… and he had. Before Yugi could even begin to voice some of his concerns, they were back in the present time, and, with a jolt of shock, realised that Bakura was almost turning a corner on the rocky pathway, screaming out Ryou's name.

"BAKURA!" Yami screamed, loud and commanding enough to make the Tomb Robber turn. Before Bakura shot out of sight, Yugi could have sworn that those glittering things running down his cheeks were tears.

"BAAAAAKKUUUUURRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Yami yelled, "COME BACK!"

_ Cause so many things were left unsaid… _

He was saying what he would never have imagined him saying. Yami glanced back once at his hikari, and smiled slightly.

"I'll come back after I've talked some sense into him, aibou," Yami promised, before speeding off into the night. Yugi watched him go, and, as he did so, felt a small feeling of foreboding and a sudden urge to bolt the door.

Yet, at the same time, he could still feel the heavenly warm touch on his mind, the reassurance that Yami would never allow any harm to come to him.

Another small part of his mind argued, however, that Bakura might have allowed something to hurt Ryou. Although it had not been intentional, Bakura had wasted several moments in what could be a truly crucial time for his hikari friend. Yugi shook his head and closed the door.

/Yami? Can you see him/ Yugi asked quietly, after several moments of deep thought. Why the hell would Ryou have run out like that?

Distantly…Swiftly came Yami's answer, and Yugi sighed with relief, and made sure that his coequal could feel it through their link.

/Are you speaking with him now/ The innocent one queried, this time with some more hope.

_ But now you're gone, and I can't think straight…/ _

Yugi was shocked when Yami sighed heavily, and seemed to stop running. I was…Yami answered slowly, unsure of taking the more frontal approach with this, … but he just threw me off, and said I was wasting my time. All he wanted was to have Ryou safe, with him

Yugi closed his eyes and made a half-laugh, half-sob sound. /Just come back then, Yami. You've done all you can/

Then the link fell quiet, and Yugi could sense his Pharaoh steadily approaching. After several moments of a quiet wait, Yami burst in through the door, panting heavily. He collapsed on the couch and tried to get his breath back before answering any questions.

"Bakura… did he say where he was going to look?"

Yami shook his head in a no. "He wouldn't say… which probably means that he doesn't know himself." He pounded the sofa beneath him with his clenched fists. "Why did Ryou have to bolt out like that?"

Yugi said nothing but a slight look of nervousness hinted that he knew a little bit more than what Yami did about Ryou.

"Well…" Yugi said after a while, sitting down beside the Game King with a sigh, "Ryou never really copes well when under pressure, so… maybe… he ran because we were being slightly…"

Yami raised his eyebrows. "Ordering him to dance?" Yugi nodded, and sank back into the comfy, squishy sofa, his face feigning calm. Inside, he was practically a wreck over worry for his best friend.

_ This could be the one last chance to make you understand… _

"Still… he wouldn't have run far. And that's why I think… he's… injured…" Yugi trailed off, not looking into the Pharaoh's eyes. At that moment, Yugi could not have faced the gentle yet authoritative eyes that stared back at him.

Immediately Yami defied him.

"No. Even if he looks weak, he knows how to defend himself. Perhaps he and Bakura have found a bush somewhere? Yeah. That's it. They PLANNED this, left us here so that we wouldn't hear them moaning… in pleasure."

Yugi sighed and shook his head, standing. /Must everything you yami's do be somehow hentai/

Yami arched an eyebrow. Oh, so you're comparing me to the Tomb Robber now, are ya? Well, we'll just see about that then, hmmm?Yami smirked, pulling Yugi back down to tickle his sides until his hikari submitted to being tortured… and at that moment, Yami would pause, the fun having gone from the activity…

_ I'd do anything, just to hold you in my arms… _

"YAMI!" Yugi squealed, squirming to try and evade the fingers he could hate and love. "STOP IT!"

In spite of himself, Yami found himself laughing, laughing the loudest and most sincerely that he had ever done, even in his previous life. He tricked Yugi, and made his light lie on his back, right along the width of the sofa. Yugi stared up at the Pharaoh, panting slightly.

/Yami! Let me go, now/

Yami leered over his hikari, trapping Yugi by pinning his hands above his head. Yugi couldn't decide whether it was desire he was feeling, or the urge to pout cutely. Well… which one would you choose? The one that gave away the feelings that you had sought to conceal for so very long… or pout so that you could get whatever you wanted?

"I think, aibou," Yami whispered, inching closer to his light's face, "That you need a lesson in discipline…"

Yami's face was getting closer to his… and Yugi didn't know what to do. A part of him screamed that he should kiss the Game King of everyone's fantasies, yet the sensible mind of his reasoned calmly that this was a distraction. That the yami would continue to torture his hikari, by tickling his sides and feet.

_ To try to make you laugh, cause sometimes I can't you in the past… _

But it didn't seem that way. Yami's eyes were warm, and full of nostalgia for his little hikari. He paused for one moment before their lips were less than an inch apart, staring down into the expectant, yet bemused amethyst orbs of his beloved Yugi before slowly closing his eyes and tilting his head slightly to one side… their lips were almost touching… Yugi's eyes fell to a close, and awaited the touch of Yami's lips on his…

**BANG!**

Yami immediately jumped off Yugi, and proceeded to scratch his head, as if in an endless pit of deep thought. Yugi sat up straight, almost unnaturally so, trying but failing to hide his blush.

Bakura charged in, and flung himself into a chair, covering his eyes with his hands. Although not one word, whether through the link or verbally, was exchanged, both Yami and Yugi knew very well that the Tomb Robber was weeping.

Slowly Yugi edged towards Bakura's chair, and sat on its arm. He then hesitantly patted the yami on the arm. Without warning, Bakura seized him and held him close to his body, in a highly uncomfortable, backbreaking embrace.

Ryou! I'm so sorry, I never meant for you to get hurt! Bakura sobbed into Ryou's defences, the ones that no amount of force would be able to break. Consequently, no matter how hard Bakura could try, Ryou would not even be able to hear him, or respond, until those obstacles of his were lowered.

_ I'd do anything, Just to fall asleep with you… _

"Bakura… y-you're… hurt- hurting me…." Yugi choked, trying to pry Bakura's deathlike grip from around him, in vain.

Yami had barely moved, and sighed deeply. Yugi was avoiding eye contact with him: something that the Pharaoh did not appreciate. Was Yugi angry at him, or just turned on?

Just at that moment, Bakura began to scream out several words, words that, it seemed, only Yami could interpret into fully understandable English.

"I- I just… I just don't know Wh- where he could b-be!" Bakura sobbed, in a loud, piercing voice, "I can- can't… live without him… I'll die to be with him…"

Yugi felt his resolve weaken, and stopped his attempts to save himself from the hug. He returned the gesture, patting the Tomb Robber on the back. Bakura looked so out of character, but neither did he care or realise how odd he looked. All that mattered to him… was having Ryou: Something that he did not have.

_ Will you remember me? Cause I know I won't forget you… _

"What can I-I do?" Bakura choked, breaking the embrace and staring up at both flustered Mutou's, his chestnut eyes glistening with fresh tears. "I don't know Wh-where he's g-gone… s-so where… and why… would he run out like that?"

Yugi shuffled slightly, and slid off the chair.

"Bakura, you've checked everywhere nearby, right?" Bakura nodded. "Right. So I take it you_ did _check the caves on the beach, then?"

Bakura's mouth twitched. "No…" He said dreamily, as if in a trance, "I haven't…" Then his eyes regained focus. "I'm gonna search them, then. I don't care how long I am, but you can't come looking for me. I don't trust these parts, and…" Bakura eyed Yugi's obvious lack of muscles, and the defensive stance of the Pharaoh. "Well… I'll let you two carry on, then…" He faded out, grabbing his jacket before jogging outside and heading out, to the left of the road this time.

Silence. Urgh, Yami was banging his head continuously against a wall in his Soul Room, completely uncomfortable. If Yugi did not feel… attracted… to the Pharaoh, and the dominant male had almost made a move on him… then how would it affect their relationship as hikari and yami?

_ Together we broke all the rules, Dreaming of dropping outta school… _

Yugi cleared his throat nervously in Yami's Soul Room, and the Game King ceased his head banging.

"Aibou?" He asked calmly, straightening and shaking small pieces of rubble from his hair. Yugi shrugged.

"Just wondered why you've retreated, that's all. I don't wanna lose another person tonight…" Yugi whispered, ending with a small sigh.

_ And leave this place, to never come back… _

Yami's anxiety softened. If Yugi didn't want to scream at him for trying to kiss him, then that definitely was a plus, right? However… what if this was a sign that Yugi was so uncomfortable that he couldn't bring himself to scream at Yami? What if… Yami's desires had leaked out through the usually tight defences that the Pharaoh once took great pride in keeping up? And what if… Yugi felt like deserting his own yami due to what had happened?

Yet Yugi was distressed. What kind of a yami, despite having to control those feelings that had just been so close to being uncovered, would Yami be to not comfort his own hikari?

"Come here," Yami said gently, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture. Yugi couldn't find any reason why he should not, and gladly fell into the arms of the man who he loved so much.

Yami slowly stroked the silken tresses of his aibou, revelling in its tender softness beneath his suddenly scratchy and rough palms. Yugi was crying: he could sense it, and so embraced him tightly with one arm whilst his other continued to caress the locks so like his own.

_ So now maybe after all these years, If you miss me have no fear… _

Yugi sniffled slightly, trying to keep his emotions under check, yet found that he couldn't. His tears fled down his cheeks: his eyes becoming sore and his cheeks red: his fingers grasping the leather of his darkness' shirt. He was dimly aware of a hand stroking his hair, and was appreciating the touch when he began to fear once more for Ryou's safety.

"Shh," Yami whispered, the hand that had been touching Yugi's hair dipping lower to lift his light's chin up slightly, so that they had to keep eye contact.

"Please calm down, Yugi. I can't stand it when you're like this," He almost pleaded; those crimson eyes of his staring down into the amethyst pools that were Yugi's. Visibly he could see a small difference, but the emotions that seeped from underneath the younger one's mind defences still concerned the Egyptian spirit.

Yami eventually could not stand the look in Yugi's eyes anymore. They looked so hopeless, so full of anxiety and sadness.

"What you need is rest," Yami said softly but insistently. In a flash of light, they were standing in the main room of the cabin, and Yami began to guide his aibou upstairs.

"But how can I sleep, Yami? I mean, I'll be worried about Ryou, worried that Bakura could get hurt, and-"

_ I'll be here: I'll be waiting… _

"Bakura can't get hurt," Yami interrupted, smiling at the thought, "Because he still carries the knives and other weapons he used in Ancient Egypt. And, of course, he still practises."

Yugi seemed less anxious, but his darkness could still feel a nagging thought in his aibou's mind. When he tried to figure it out, however, Yugi broke his concentration.

"But you wanna know what else is worrying me?" Yugi whispered, turning around at the top of the stairs, making Yami stop dead in his tracks.

What is it, Yugi?

Yugi blushed slightly. "Well… if this is how easy it is to lose our friends, then… what about you?"

Yami almost melted. That was so sweet… Yugi cared enough for him to worry about his safety. So… did that mean he had forgotten about the attempted kiss? Or that Yugi could not voice how resentful he was, or how to express rejection, for fear of losing his darkness?

_ This could be the one last chance to make you understand… _

No. Yugi was very open minded, and would never be able to conceal emotions of that extent from the sharp-witted yami. Nevertheless, Yami couldn't help but feel slightly disheartened at his thoughts, and he managed a frown.

However… more pressing matters were taking place. Yugi's eyes were still gazing down into his expectantly, and Yami knew that his aibou needed the comfort, and the truth.

"I'll always be here for you, Yugi," He answered softly, smiling in a reassuring manner at his partner, "Unless you tell me not to, then I will never leave."

Yugi smiled too, and turned his back so that Yami wouldn't see the tears of happiness leak through his eyes. /Arigato/

They finally entered their now strangely silent and eerie sleeping area. Flicking on some lights, Yami blinked and stared over at Bakura's bed, hearing Yugi sneak out into the bathroom to get changed. Upon it lay a photograph. The Pharaoh strode over to the bed and took to examining it.

Judging by the background of a clear cerulean coloured sky, this must have been taken when aboard the blimp at Battle City, on the way to Kaiba Island. In this photo was Ryou, Bakura, Jou and Yugi… all grinning or just looking casual, just looking relaxed. Yami then turned the frozen memory over, and smiled slightly as he read Bakura's hieroglyphs:

'_One day, my Ryou, you will need protection. And I swear to the Gods that I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you aren't hurt.'_

_ …And I just can't let you leave me once again… yeah… I'd do anything, just to hold you in my arms…_

Poor Bakura. He must be going through hell, Yami thought, before allowing the photo to fall through the air and land on the sheets. Idly he stared around the room, and reflected on what he and Bakura had discussed during their duel last night… fuck, it seemed as if that was just a distant memory, what with all of the shit that had happened…

_Flashback_

"_You really should tell your hikari the truth, Pharaoh," Bakura said calmly, drawing a card and slamming it down on the table. "I am sure his reaction will be the on you desire." _

_Yami froze and stared at the Tomb Robber silently, unwilling to accept that he had somehow concluded that he, the almighty Pharaoh, was in love. What was with that? Why is it that, when in a doubtful moment concerning love, it is either a friend who points out that you love him/her, or a friend who makes you feel uneasy by saying it as if they had known for an age? Why? _

_Yami sighed heavily, and decided that he must answer. He could, after all, not respond. This was Bakura who he was dealing with. Most probably, the Thief would strike a deal that he could never decline. Yami's money was on that if he lost the Duel, Bakura would tell Yugi how the Pharaoh felt about him. _

"_How did you find out?"_

_ To try to make you laugh, cause sometimes I can't put you in the past… I'd do anything… Just to fall asleep with you. _

_End flashback_

"Wrong bastard memory," Yami found himself mumbling, shaking his head. The thoughts of last night were so confused and mixed with the near kiss he had just given his hikari. He could still not translate what he had seen in Yugi's eyes… but all he could interpret from the incoherent fog within his mind was that it had been beautiful.

His eyes – always alluringly innocent, if not adorable – always had that affect on Yami. The first time the Game King had seen them… right after he had materialised from the confines of the Shadows… he had been entranced.

_Flashback_

_The final piece of the Millennium Puzzle had been clicked into place… and Yugi stared happily at the artefact that he had restored to its natural shape. It looked so pretty, in his eyes… the glittering golden Eye gleamed at him, staring blankly back into the soulful eyes for a moment, before it shined so brightly that Yugi could not longer see. Yugi shielded his eyes, praying that the burning glow would cease… _

_And then it did. Blinking slightly, his eyes adjusting in a most painful way to the changes of light, Yugi gasped. _

_ Will you remember me? Cause I know, I won't forget you… _

_Before him stood one of the most handsome boys that he had ever seen. Even if he did look like Yugi, he was still so sexy. Golden bangs fluttered around his slightly tanned face, also shifting slightly in his hair. Crimson eyes – warm and yet mysteriously dark – opened slowly, and took in the features of his light. _

_Yami had learnt never to give away his emotions – a trait from being Pharaoh that he had never been able to give up. His insides were shaking, shaking at the beautiful innocence of the boy before him. Wide eyes of amethyst stared at him, so pure and an obvious relief to him. A slight blush was perfect in the Pharaoh's eyes, and he treasured the moment. _

"_What is your name?" He asked, causing the little one to jump slightly at being addressed. _

"_Yugi…" _

_Yami smiled and made his way to the boy and embraced him, inhaling the sweet scent of him. Stroking the teen's velvety hair, he whispered into Yugi's ear:_

"_I am Yami of Ancient Egypt." _

_ I close my eyes, and all I see is you. I close my eyes. I try to sleep, I can't forget you, Nanana… _

_End Flashback_

Without thinking, the Pharaoh began to strip down into some loose fitting pants and climbed into his bed, suddenly very weary. His mind did not want to accept that one of his friends were gone, and that this was causing Yugi pain, and this was the reason for his tiredness. He heard Yugi return from the bathroom and silently get into the bed next to his darkness', and Yami could hear him shifting restlessly.

Aibou? What is wrong?

Yugi's shuffling ceased for a moment. /Can't sleep./

A pause then, and Yami could feel a hint of embarrassment sneak down along their link as his light hesitated for a moment.

_ And I'd do anything for you, Nanana, Nanana… I'd do anything to fall asleep with you… _

/Yami? Could you please…/

Yami was startled by the wave of emotions that kept pouring into his head from his other's side of the link, yet found that he could not question them. After all, such emotional confusion was natural for most males at such a prominent and important age, right? And who was Yami to go poking in business that Yugi clearly did not know what to do about himself?

Aibou…?

Another wave, mainly of shame, met Yami's end of the link.

/Can you please… stay with me tonight? I can't sleep alone… it makes me feel so small and…/

Yami chuckled in the darkness, making Yugi's heart skip a beat. What added to the knot of anticipation lurking in his stomach was when he heard soft footsteps approaching his bed, before a comforting body settled beside his own.

_ I'd do anything… To fall asleep with you… I'd do anything… There's nothing I won't do… _

"Thank you, Yami," Yugi whispered, snuggling into Yami's warm, muscular chest again. Yami smiled and embraced his young counterpart, the added heat coaxing him to a realm of dreams… and of nightmares.

As Yugi fell of into a partially blissful slumber, Yami felt a sudden frown reach his lips, at a memory that had haunted his mind for many months. Every morning it had been the same for him… well, ever since he started feeling sexually attracted to his light.

Obviously this was a… delicate situation. Yami was torn between waking Yugi up and – he blushed at the thought – making love to him, or to stay awake, and have no sleep for that evening.

'But what of tomorrow?' Yami's mind asked. 'What when Yugi needs comforting again, and you are too sluggish to either protect or reassure him?'

_ I'd do anything… To fall asleep with you… I'd do anything… Cause I know I won't forget you! _

Tomorrow… it is a different day.

Yami's koi: wow. I am Soooo sorry about the wait. I didn't mean to keep ya all so…

Neutral Man: happy?

Bakura: where is my Ryou? I won't scream at you… or get mad…

Yami's koi: I can't tell you. Partially because I can't know for sure myself, LMAO! XD

Bakura: THAT'S IT! NEUTRAL MAN!

Yami's koi: dodges fleeing Neutral Man Yes, well. I ask nicely for reviews, hai? Please R/R dudes. And you'll get a plushie, I may remind you. And… another plushie is for those people who send me fan art. I'm gonna do a new fic on Shaman King in commemoration of my hatred for Valentines Day. Yes, I love Shaman King. I also feel that Yoh and Amidamaru love each other, too.

Amidamaru: blinks, sweatdrops why do you fan girls always write yaoi stories? Why not anything about Lady Anna? Smirks behind silvery locks

Yoh: Trust me, she ain't no lady. Huggles Amidamaru Love ya, Midi.

Yami's koi: see what I mean? Adorable! Um… Luvvies, people!


	7. Hysteria

Yami's koi: …you were kicked in the head by a horse, oui? So the brain doesn't work correctly?

Neutral Man: how'd you know about that?

Yami's koi: nevermind, nevermind. We wait until she collects the other pieces… OO Um… Sorry about the slowness of this chap. I spent about three years deciding on the song, LMAO! XD

Nefertiri: REVIEW, PEOPLE, REVIEW!

Yami's koi: sweatdrops that's for the end, Teary. I need another song for the next chap, though… any suggestions? See ya…

_ It's bugging me… Calling me… _

Yami felt that no sooner had he fallen asleep, it was time to wake up. Slowly he disengaged himself from around Yugi, to which his hikari sleepily groaned and clutched at the pillow in loss. The Pharaoh smiled and proceeded to make some breakfast for him and his light.

On the bright side, at least he hadn't woken up to wet sheets… which should have been something definite.

Yami was just about to get to work on his little one's food when Yugi's phone rang. Automatically Yami answered the call… and in his absent-mindedness forgot to read the person's name on the screen.

"Hello…?"

"Yami? What da hell? I figured you'd be too busy screwing Yug's to answer da phone! What gives, Pharaoh?"

Yami sweat dropped, and leaned against the doorframe. He had some explaining to do.

"Trust me Jou, I want to. But the thing is, Ryou ran out last night, we have no idea where the hell he is, even now, and… on top of that, Bakura's fucked off somewhere to try and find him… and I think he's trying the caves out on the beach."

Silence. "Wow."

_ And twisting me around… _

Yami then heard a rich voice in the background: it was much calmer and well pronounced. Jou's hesitation could almost be seen due to how evident it was to the Game King.

"Listen, Yami… I'm gonna hand ya over to Seto, he knows the score. Later… tell Yug's I said 'Hi…'"

"Yami. You know that I usually couldn't care less if you and your friends got fed to the Loch Ness monster… but… let's just say that the caves aren't exactly the best of places at any time, even if in the day." Seto's voice was trying its best to sound normal, yet there was a hint of emotion within it that the teenage CEO could defy.

Yami gripped the phone nearer to his ear. "And why is that?"

Seto breathed in deeply, and his breath exhaled as a shudder. "To be honest, Yami… those caves are rumoured to lead to an underground temple… one where no one has ever returned from.

_ Yeah I'm endlessly caving in.. _

"A group of archaeologists went down there last spring… and are still confirmed as missing... and presumed dead, as things go. Yami… I really didn't want anything bad to happen, but I didn't want to ruin your vacation… and now because of my silence, thing's have messed up." Seto fell quiet for a moment, and the startled Pharaoh knew that he was in deep thought.

"Wait there. The flight will be long, but I don't give a hang. Yami… me and Jou are coming over to help you find the Bakura's!" And with that, he hung up.

Yami slowly sat down on a nearby chair and gripped his hair, staring down at the table. Bakura would be in heaven in a temple in need of exploring, but as for Ryou… well, if archaeologists couldn't escape, then who could? Yami could never doubt Bakura's ability to be able to worm himself away from life-threatening situations which may arise from within caverns deep below the surface of the earth… but he doubted that the same could be said for his hikari, Ryou.

"Yami?"

The Pharaoh raised his head and tried to look as natural as he possibly could.

"Hey…"

_ And turning inside out _

Yugi stared at the phone in Yami's hands. "Why are you holding my phone, Yami? Has Seto rang me?" He asked, suddenly panicky.

Yami sighed. It was no good: whom was he trying to fool, anyway?

"Yugi… Seto DID just ring you, but I didn't want to wake you just for his sake. So I answered, and this was what I was told…"

Yami took a deep breath and informed his hikari of what the teenage CEO had said. By the end of it, Yugi was striding up the stairs in a frantic hurry.

Where are you going, aibou?

/To get dressed. I am NOT allowing Ryou to die down there, Yami/

_ Because I want it now I want it now… _

Yugi… are you sure about this?Yami asked urgently, following his hikari up the stairs in a state of frustrated fear. I would never be able to live with myself if this was just a false lead and you died for nothing.

"Well I can't promise you anything, can I?" Yugi exploded, turning around and screaming in Yami's face. "When Ryou walked out, I think maybe he had the right idea about a few things!"

With that outburst over, Yugi turned on his heel and left Yami standing on the stairs, trembling from the shock waves that shot through his body. He slowly sank to his ass on the floor, and stared directly ahead. Faintly he could hear bangs and various curses from just a few metres away, but Yami suddenly felt very alone, and degraded.

How was there possibly any way in which he could make things worse? 'By telling him that you love him,' a snarling, smug part of his mind mocked. Yami gripped his bangs in a solitary stance. He couldn't believe it… his own hikari hinting that he should have run off and died, too. To think that Yugi would never consider how his death would affect Yami… was an unbearable concept.

The only problem was that it was true.

_ Give me your heart and your soul… _

Yami wanted to curl into a ball and cry – but he knew that this could never happen in a situation such as this. He was always suspected to be the brave one: the one who encouraged Yugi in his times of trouble, the one who guided and protected him from all obscene things… but could he truly ever save himself? He had barely done a good job about things back in Egypt… for if he had been a truly great leader, surely such devastation would never have occurred?

Of course they wouldn't. Therefore, as well as being a complete and total failure to everyone near him, he could not protect his hikari, and neither could he save anyone else.

"…Yami?"

The Pharaoh opened his eyes and calmly rose to his feet. Dusting himself off, he entered the sleeping area… and was shocked.

Yugi had not done a thing. A pillow near where he lay was spattered with slightly damp patches… had he been crying?

_ And I'm breaking out, I'm breaking out… _

"Yugi? What is wrong, aibou?" The Game King asked, striding over to where his soul partner lay across… Yami's bed? He blinked for a moment, but decided not to delve into such an insignificant issue such as this, when his precious light was distraught.

"Talk to me, Yugi," Yami said softly, stroking the pleasantly silky hair revealed to him. Yugi rose his head slightly, just enough so that he could see Yami's sexy face.

"I… don't want Ryou to die." Yugi whispered, so quiet that Yami almost missed what he had said. Then the Pharaoh smiled slightly.

"I know. If I didn't, then why would we share the same fear?" Yugi considered that thought for a moment before Yami continued. "And another thing. If we're going to go on a rescue mission to save both the Bakura's before Seto gets here, then we'd better leave now. So… if you don't want us to go, then I'm okay with it."

_ That's when she'll lose control… _

"Y-you mean… we can go save Ryou?" Yugi asked hopefully, sitting up. He saw something change in Yami's eyes, and he blinked when he felt the Duellist's fingers just under his chin, keeping his eyes on the Pharaoh.

"Of course." Yami whispered, pressing a light kiss to Yugi's brow, before turning and blushing as he walked downstairs.

/Where are you going/ Yugi asked suddenly, panicky.

Yami paused, smiling. Well, we are going to need at least some forms of food and weaponry, aibou.

He could feel Yugi's blush through his side of the link.

_Seto and Jou_

"Come on, Mutt! We need to catch a flight really quickly." Seto urged Jou, tossing clothes over to his naked, frustrated lover. The blonde-haired duellist groaned from under the pile of clothes he was currently buried alive under, and then he emerged.

"Okay, what the HELL is goin' on, Settie? I figured we'd be stayin' for at least another three days, cause we can never get enough…"

_ Yeah it's hurting me, Morphing me… _

Seto shot Jou an almost exasperated look… and the golden haired male fell silent. Jou stared down at his hands, rose, and then began to slowly and disjointedly pack his clothes away into his suitcase, saving some for him to dress in.

Seto sighed inwardly, and pulled Jou into his chest roughly. Jou felt like shoving the CEO away, but as soon as he glanced up into the loving, azure eyes of his beloved Seto, he knew that he could never be so cruel.

Seto smiled warmly and leaned down into a tender, yet needy kiss, and was in instant heaven. Their tongues began an erotic, enticing battle for dominance, both expressing how much they wanted each other through every single caress that they made. Jou's arms slowly wound themselves around Seto's neck, pulling the brunette even closer, ensuring that he wouldn't leave him. Seto growled slightly, and gladly swallowed the throaty, but oddly arousing moan that escaped from Jou's busy lips.

Eventually the two parted for air, panting slightly. Jou grinned up at his lover, and snuggled further into Seto's muscular chest. The CEO smirked, kissing the sandy tresses delicately.

"I love you, Jou," He mumbled, never wanting this calm, loving moment to end. Jou smiled into Seto's neck, kissing the pale column of skin, before reluctantly drawing himself away. Seto knew he was deprived of his love recently, and wanted nothing more than to kiss Jou's lips, neck, nipples, thighs… everywhere.

_ And forcing me to strive… _

The only problem was that other's lives were in danger. If Seto decided not to act quickly, then he knew that Yami would break and eventually seek out the entrances to the underground caverns.

With a slight smile still framing the sexy male's features, Seto turned and resumed packing for both him and his love, knowing that the entire ordeal would move much swifter when he was in charge.

_Bakura_

'How long until this insanity ends?' The Thief pondered, agitated fully. Never, in all of his previous years of ridding tombs of their riches, had he ever come across such a tomb! As a low-life, Bakura had never been taught how to read; yet he could decipher several of the hieroglyphs.

Of course, the ones that he could translate did not fill him with much hope.

Bakura's current settings mainly consisted of a large, circular room. Several holes were scattered in the walls, and the Thief eyes them with great wariness. If he dared to put his hand in the holes, and activated an ancient trap, what was the possibility that Ryou would die?

Of course, this was quite likely. Therefore, Bakura gripped the flashlight tightly in his hand, squinting into the still dreary hole. As he could see no levers within the cavity, he knew that he couldn't activate any traps of great magnificence… yet what if he did? He could _not _put Ryou's life at risk. It was simply… out of the question.

_ To be endlessly, caving in… _

Then, Bakura snarled an ancient curse so deadly that it very nearly terrified him when it echoed around the tomb.

"Bastards!" He hissed savagely, as he noticed that his sudden pain was coming from the scarab beetles currently attacking his left foot. Without thinking, he drew a pistol from within his jacket pocket… and shot at the beetles. Of course, the Tomb Robber was skilful enough not to shoot his foot in the process.

Bakura sighed as he returned to his current, powerful dilemma. Risk Ryou's life and save him, or not risk Ryou's life and they all die? Bakura sighed agitatedly, and his hand slowly rose and entered the cavity. He felt a fairly small, yet complexly crafted thing that he could grip onto… and he eventually pulled the item out of the hole, after little struggle.

Dusting the item off, and, at a quick glance, Bakura could easily identify what the thing was. It was an item that was often referred to, in the historical texts, as a wondrous artefact of great magnificence in Ancient Egypt. The legend then goes on to say that he who wields the artefact will also bring great chaos to the world… unless progress is swiftly made.

_ And dreaming of my love… _

Idly Bakura swung the artefact around his index finger as he cautiously strode over to the next entrance into nothingness. Retrieving his flashlight, Bakura saw a lever… and paused. Could he honestly risk his hikari's life?

Bakura then made his decision. There was no point in living… if he never made any sacrifices. If Ryou was the sacrifice… then Bakura could always follow his hikari in the Afterlife, and they could love each other that way. Now almost curious at the reaction doing this would cause, Bakura pulled the lever.

He could sense something behind him moving, and instantly whirled around, this time using his long knives as a weapon. He saw sand pouring down, and cried out… but then he realised.

The chamber beneath him was being filled with sand. With no further thoughts of coherence, Bakura sprinted along, until he came to face a dark, empty opening in the wall. It was just big enough for him to get through… and with this done, the Thief flicked open his lighter, and lit a scrap piece of timber he found nearby on the floor.

With his surroundings now illuminated somewhat, Bakura proceeded down the corridor; his initial instincts were correct when he noted that the floor was sloping steeply downwards.

Because I want it now… I want it now… Give me your heart and your soul… 

Bakura's slender form vanished around the corner for a moment… until he strode into a room. Falling sand pattered gently beside him, and the Thief moved to prevent himself from getting covered. It was then that he realised… most of the floor that he stood upon… was the sand that still fell. So he had done the right thing…

GOLD! A gleam came from the opposite end of the room. Still cautious, even if drawn to the object by its treasured beauty, Bakura sprinted across the newly formed floor. He did not want to fall into the sand and suffocate…

…Not when his hikari's life could be at stake.

_Yami and Yugi_

"Right, have we got everything?" Yugi asked for what seemed to be the millionth time. Yami paused for a moment, and pretended to think.

"Well, I don't really have an entire army under my command anymore, but I think we've got everything."

_ I'm not breaking down… I'm breaking out _

Yugi rolled his eyes and bounded out the door. Yami groaned… and locked the door behind him, hitching his backpack onto his back even higher. For some odd reason, he had the sinking suspicion that finding both Bakura and Ryou would prove to be very difficult.

At least if Bakura had already been in one of the tombs… then they would know it by the trail of the dead.

Yami blinked, and sped up slightly to catch up with his distracted, anxious hikari. Yugi had barely spoken since he had blushed last… not that the Pharaoh could blame him. He felt the same amount of worry and fear that Yugi did… but surely his light could suppress this emotion, just as he could?

_ That's when she'll lose control… _

From this point… it seemed that he could not. Therefore, for the next few minutes, the two strode in silence towards the beaches. They then edged around the perimeter for a while, searching for the caves that led to their possible doom.

When it came down to everything, did Yami really want to put Yugi in danger? Surely if his light was to get hurt, then he would blame himself for allowing this folly to commence?

Yes. He would. But surely his friends also meant something to him? He couldn't just stand back and allow both Ryou and Bakura to die… it would just be too painful.

"Yami! I think I've found the entrance!" Yugi called suddenly, breaking into the Game King's train of thought. The Pharaoh rushed over, and examined the vast, gaping cave entrance that stood before him. It was easily taller than both Bakura and Yami standing on each other's shoulders… and this is what gave Yami the conclusion that his hikari was correct.

_ And I want you now… I want you now… _

"Okay, aibou. I will go down first and tell you if things are safe. I…" Yami avoided his light's gaze for a moment. "…Do not want you to be hurt."

Yugi nodded, and wondered why he suddenly felt so calm. Yami winked, and slowly entered the cave. He lightly pressed his foot out into the darkness, and released the catch on his bag. After a moment of fumbling, he found a flare and lit it. He offered it to the floor… and Yami then saw a small, yet quite steep way down.

Without even as much as a small gasp, or second thought, Yami jumped down into the cavern. In fact, the entire drop was so steep, that it acted almost as a slide, and Yami did gasp when he fell onto his backside, sliding down into fuck knows what. Falling sand quickened his descent, and his mouth released a startled cry when his body found sweet, steady ground after one more moment of fear.

"Urgh…" Yami groaned, rising to his feet shakily, after several moments of rest. His crimson eyes squinted for a moment into the darkness, finding no traces of danger or possible traps present.

_ I feel my heart implode…And I'm breaking out _

Aibou… it seems to be safe down here.

/'Kay. / Came the eventual reply. In a few more moments, Yami could hear the rapid falling of sand and small twigs coming from the slide. A moment later, his hikari fell out, seemingly from nowhere.

"Y-Yami?" A shaken, yet defiant voice asked. Yami sensed his hikari groping around in the darkness for him, and he grabbed onto Yugi's hand, gripping it tightly.

"Don't worry, aibou. Whatever ahou dares to harm you… they will not live to see their next meal."

_ Escaping now… Feeling my faith grow old… _

Yami heard a small, incoherent whimper… and instantly knew that Yugi was afraid. He curled his rams around the small boy, and assured him for a few moments, until he lit another flare. Yami brushed strands of hair from Yugi's eyes, and the male suddenly looked very weary.

Things would be more difficult than either of them had anticipated.

Yami's koi: wow. Two chapters finally done… in about ten billion years! Woot Woot!

Nefertiri: don't ask, gies. She's just… mad.

Yami's koi: Thanks, Teary. Please Read and Review gies, and send in any fan art you've created.

Neutral Man: weren't those few lines at the beginning of the author notes for this chapter from Tomb Raider Chronicles?

Yami's koi: why, yyeeeeeeessssssssss, they were! O.O Um… please R/R. Luvvies… and sorry for the slowness of this chapter. Bye! (Songs of Inspiration: Muse: Plug in Baby. Muse: Hysteria. Muse: Time is Running out. HIM: Close to the Flame.)


	8. The Sacrament

Yami's koi: well. It would seem that I have achieved the impossible… a new chapter! Yay! Writer's block has been kicked in the ass again!

Nefertiri: yes, but for how long?

Yami's koi: in the words of Naruto… screw you. Now, on with the fic! I actually spent three minutes deciding on the song, and not three years. XD Later! (Song: HIM – The Sacrament.)

_ I hear you breathe so far from me… _

Bakura's swift, yet strangely silent pace had him encountering minor dangers again in no time. From within his pocket, he withdrew two Uzi guns. Despite his old passions for swords, he felt that it would be folly to attack scarab beetles with them. Bullets would be much more efficient… yet even the great Tomb Robber knew that his ammo would not last a lifetime. Therefore, he took careful aim on every shot… and rid himself of the problem at his feet.

A sharp, instant creaking noise from behind the Thief startled Bakura, and his cursed foully. Instantly he knew what it was that he had done wrong. Gun shots echoed, and would resound through chamber… after chamber… which could, very possibly, contain mummies. Which could, very possibly, have curses upon them. Which could, very possibly, involve the mummies killing any intruder entering the Tomb within Domino.

And what was it that had always occurred when Bakura was stealing riches from within a tomb?

_ I feel your touch so close and real, And I know… _

Ironically, Bakura tried shooting into the darkness, paused, and then replaced his guns. Still squinting into the shadows before him, he drew his two swords, falling into a fighting stance: a sort of odd-looking crouch.

Shuffling feet soon reached Bakura's ears, and he knew instinctively where the noise came from. Of course, a less experienced Thief would have heard the echoing, and wildly blundered in any direction… leading him right where the enemy was.

Yet Bakura was skilful enough to hear behind the imitations, and concentrated solely on hearing. At the last possible second, he whirled around and struck the staggering, groaning form… of a dilapidated, decomposed mummy. Dark, horribly brown patches of skin still stretched over broken, decayed bones, which almost horrified the Thief.

Whilst one sword locked into the creature's stomach area, holding him in place, Bakura brought his other sword around, behind the mummy's shoulders… and impaled him again.

A sickening cutting sound, and a loud, ear-splitting screech, was all that could be heard for the next few seconds.

_ My church is not of silver and gold… It's glory lies beyond judgement of souls… _

_Yami and Yugi_

Yami slowly brought his arms back from around Yugi to his sides. As much as he wanted to take Yugi, right there… Ryou was in likely danger.

"Come on, Yugi. I think that we shall know where Bakura is heading towards by the trail of the dead."

Yugi nodded, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach: the feeling that seemed to tell him that he was going to die. Right here, in this long, cold, winding tomb that led to who knew where. It was odd to even think of an Egyptian Tomb being in Domino City, Japan, yet it was real. Or, perhaps they had been transported over to Egypt from that nasty fall. Or perhaps this was all a dream. Yes, maybe that was it… a long, horribly twisted dream.

Despite his fears, Yugi's intentions were probably the only thing – apart from his yami – that were moving his feet forwards. Yet the diminutive boy still cringed when he saw vast, drooping spider's webs, hanging down from the ceiling that was high above their heads. If there was another thing that he really could not stand… it was spiders.

_ The Commandments are of consolation, oh… You know our sacred dream won't fail… _

Their current settings were quite dark, despite Yami lighting several flares. The Pharaoh turned and lit a piece of wood on the cold, slimy wall of the chamber, illuminating the tomb more so. Yugi looked ahead, noting that the floor sloped steeply downhill. Of course, various rocks and suchlike were scattered around the place, but it still did not provide any less of a slope. Yugi inhaled the musky air around him, and he coughed. Before he had not noticed it, but the air was foul. It reeked of what Yugi could only place as death, yet there was a hint of something else, as well… and he could not place it. At all.

Both boys finally moved forwards, down long the sloping landscape that they were in. Occasionally they would slip on cobwebs, and pause, listening for scuttling noises… yet they would hear nothing.

"I can't shake off the feeling, aibou, that the eyes of the ancient and the wise are upon us." Yami stated after a moment, gripping onto the side of the wall for support. Something glinted in the dim, flickering light from the torches that he recently had lit, and it attracted the Game King's attention successfully.

He wandered over to the glittering object, after gesturing for his hikari to stay back. It… looked like a gun. Yami went to pick it up… yet then felt a sudden shot of pain in his ankle.

_ The Sanctuary tender and so frail. The Sacrament of love… _

"FUCK!" The Pharaoh yelled, turning around and staring down at the floor. He squinted for a moment, and then leapt backwards, falling over the gun. It was a scorpion.

Yami picked up the gun and, with more sense than Bakura had previously, he slammed the handle of it into the creature's spine, killing it instantly. Wiping away any blood that the scorpion had shed, Yami pocketed the gun calmly. Yugi stood several meters away… intrigued.

"Why didn't you actually use the gun then, Yami?" The curious one questioned his yami.

The Game King smiled at his hikari's naivety. "Well, aibou, I presume you know what was buried in Egyptian Tombs, right? These mummies can either be awoken by a said curse, or they can be activated by traps being set off (in other words, motion), or by sound. We need to make as little noise as possible, but I think that Bakura's dealt with the majority of the creatures… he probably just didn't want to dirty his swords over an insignificant creature such as that."

_ The Sacrament of warmth is true… The Sacrament is you… _

Yugi blinked. "Oh…" Yami's smile twitched slightly at the cuteness of his light, but he suppressed it. In a tomb… they needed to have their wits about them.

_Jou and Seto_

Seto cleared the front entrance to the airport in almost no time at all, whilst his slightly shorter, less healthy lover struggled to keep up behind him. Jou knew of the importance of his friend's lives, but he really couldn't keep up… the car park had been absolutely full, so they had had to park about ten minutes away from the actual building. Seto of course… had made them run, both carrying a suitcase each.

"Dunno… if… I… can… keep this up… much… longer… Seto!" Jou puffed, in between deep, heavy gasps for air. Seto glanced behind him, and they slowed their pace to a brisk walk… yet Jou was still falling behind. Seto smirked, despite the frantic situation.

"Jeez, pup, I never saw you as one to tire so easily… do you want a Scooby snack to keep you going?" He mocked, earning a growl from Jou.

"Shaddup!"

_ I hear you weep so far from me… I taste your tears like you're next to me… _

Seto walked over to the front desk, his eyes flashing in a way that just dared the foolish to come in his way.

"Hello, I'm Seto Kaiba, and this is Katsuya Jonouchi. We desperately need a flight to Tokyo, today. Are there two seats still available?" Seto explained curtly, direct to the point. The young, vain lady behind the counter smiled.

"I will check on our database, sir." And so, she began to type. Using one finger. Seto 's eyes narrowed.

"So, eh… have we got a flight or what?" Jou asked, his accent very thick and pronounced. Suddenly, the typing stopped, and the young woman glanced up from her computer. Jou noted that she looked at him rather impatiently, before talking instead to his lover… something that truly irked the teen.

"There are two seats available, in first class travel, complete with a meal…"

Seto's eyes stopped her, but inside he was smiling away. It seemed that they had a flight.

_ …And I know… _

_Bakura_

Bakura listened intently, after destroying the corpse. Dimly he could hear groaning sounds, yet, listening harder, he realised just how near the sounds were.

They were directly beneath him.

'Ok, fuck the swords.' Bakura thought, sheathing his swords roughly, whilst drawing his guns, and pointing them at the ground. Still focusing on the sandy, gritty surface, Bakura began to circle around the edges of the chamber, directing his focus at different parts of the ground as he heard fresher, louder noises.

It didn't occur to him that he was right near the entrance to the chamber, and that to get into that certain room, he had had to climb up a horribly steep slope.

Then, he realised, and turned just before two mummies could decapitate him. Shit, these ones where armed… and, judging by the looks of things, there were more to come.

_ That our prayers are not enough to give… _

Hardly considering where he was aiming, just so long as the bullets struck the wandering, leering dead, Bakura began to shoot. Firstly, he tried shooting the mummies in the stomach… and they merely staggered for a moment, before regaining their bearings. Bakura then aimed at the ancient one's foreheads… and instantly found their weak points. Every time he struck one in the side of their heads, the part where the bone jutted in slightly… they fell, and never rose again.

With this danger defeated, Bakura knew that he could not linger in one area for too long… it was just too risky. And, if his calculations were correct, Yami and Yugi would be worrying about him by now, wondering just where the hell he could be, and if he had found Ryou or not.

If only Bakura knew just where they were… then he would have had some regard for the path that he had taken. Or, rather, the cave.

_Yami and Yugi_

Everything around them echoed: their voices, even their footsteps. The shadowy, silken webs that spiders had made for centuries seemed to mock Yugi, who, after Yami getting slightly injured, was slowly becoming adjusted. Still they travelled down the steep slope, stopping and listening at small intervals.

Yugi jumped. He heard a strange, eerie groan, as well as rather odd, indescribable other noises that followed. He glanced at Yami, whose eyes were dark, whose face was frowning in deep concentration. Yugi could instantly tell that he was listening as hard as he could.

Then, as suddenly as the noises had come, they passed. Yami relaxed slightly, yet was still on his guard. His hands gripped the gun even more tightly, his knuckles turning white.

/I really hope this… this… tunnel thing ends soon. / Yugi whispered, just wanting to voice some of his concerns. Yami nodded in acknowledgement.

/Just stay away from the shadows until I find you a weapon, aibou. Would you be willing to kill an animal if it attacked you? Or a mummy// Yami asked gently, not wanting to put pressure on his light, and hating the fact that he had to.

_ Oh the ancient runes so deep and so dear… _

Yugi was silent. Yami feared that Yugi's psychological being had not yet developed quite enough to take something's life, but the Pharaoh knew that the time would come… too soon for either of their liking.

Yugi then paused, and smiled. A small dent in the hillside, with two automatic pistols lay there. Of course, he knew that a creature of some sort was there… he could see it. Therefore, he gently pried the gun from Yami's hands… and smashed its head against the solid rock beneath it, beating the creature until he was sure that it was dead. He claimed the auto's as his own, and then froze.

He had just taken an animal's life. Sure, he had killed the odd fly and wasp before… but not anything so deadly.

Yami sensed this immediately and walked over to his paralysed hikari. "Aibou, it was either your life or that of the scorps'. I would rather have you live than die by the sting of a poisonous creature." He said gently, knowing just how difficult a first, real kill could be. Knowing just how pathetic his advice was, he softly steered his precious Yugi away from the dead creature, and carried on down the tunnel.

Yami received quite a shock, however, when he felt Yugi's hand entwine with his own. Yugi stopped being herded along, and knelt down when he realised that there was a three foot drop at their feet. Both nodded, and leapt down silently, managing somehow to keep their hands connected.

_Bakura_

As swift and silent as an assassin stealthily doing away with his clients, Bakura passed through chamber after chamber, somehow managing not to activate any traps.

_ The revelation is our patron fear… _

Suddenly he froze, having just entered a very narrow tunnel, and backed away, releasing a startled cry as he ran in the opposite direction, attempting to slither away through an almost invisible crevice in the wall before the ancient, decrepit thing found him. Bakura would _not _allow himself to be decapitated by a mere slave to the Pharaoh's whim… no way on _earth _would he allow that to happen.

With a sharp, insistent push, he managed to squeeze through the gap. Sand was rapidly pattering down, onto a rather hastily growing pile before him, so Bakura had to think fast. He darted swiftly around the sand and hurriedly threw himself, headfirst, into a long, musty smelling room.

Bakura dusted himself off impatiently, ignoring the fact that his arms were heavily scraped from his rough, yet needed, fall. He pushed away any thoughts about the stinging… because he did not want his hikari to die. Who ever would dare to harm just a single hair on Ryou's precious head… then they would only live to see a glinting of the Thief's blade as it swung through the air… to cut off the bastard's head.

Possessive, or simply obsessed? Bakura didn't know, and did not care. Gathering his thoughts, he entered the chamber fully, eyeing every shadowed area with dislike.

The chamber had a small set of stairs leading upwards, yet Bakura knew better than to follow them: they led to nowhere. Directly ahead of his were several torches, lit in their brackets, casting an eerie, flickering glow on the Tomb Raider. Glancing up at the ceiling, Bakura finally realised the true reason as to why the steps led to 'nowhere.' A small grin lit up his face.

_ You know our scared dream won't fail… _

A sudden rush of cool air from behind Bakura startled him, and then he heard a low, ancient groan. Another slave to the Pharaoh was awakening.

Bakura suppressed his own groan, and headed for the stairs. He watched, crouching in the shadows, hoping beyond hope that his eyes wouldn't reflect the light, as he saw two withered mummies emerge from around a corner, staggering over the gritty floor beneath them. Stray bandages, turned a horribly grey and brown colour by the sand of time, wrapped around their ankles, causing the fallen ones to stagger horribly at some points.

Bakura rose to a stand and, careful not to attract any attention to himself… which was difficult, considering that the leap he had to make was two feet ahead… and, he also had to grab on… all in all, a lot could fail with his plan.

But he had to try. Stepping back slightly for a small run up, Bakura ran forwards, jumping off the edge of the steps… and grabbed onto the bars that were attached, very cleverly, to the ceiling of the chamber. He swung dangerously for several moments, and Bakura very nearly released his hold on the almost monkey bar-like metal strips. Eventually, however, he managed to cease the swinging and maintained his grip, suspended, hovering above the walking carcasses beneath him. Somehow, Bakura feared that they had heard them, for they had stopped, bewildered, directly underneath his feet. Ah, if those creatures could walk without a slouch and a stumble, then the Tomb Robber's life would not have been spared.

Knowing that his fingers would not be able to hold him up for very long, even if he was quite strong, Bakura began to swing himself forwards, gripping the bars in front of him frantically. He did not know where he was headed, so he simply followed the direction in which the ceiling ladders were taking him.

_ The Sanctuary tender and so frail… The Sacrament of love… _

_Yami and Yugi_

Yami lowered his body to the floor in a slight crouch, examining the small exit to their tunnel. Throwing a flare into its murky, aged depths, Yami fell onto his stomach and gestured for Yugi to follow.

"Come on, aibou. I will go first… and if danger comes, then I want you… to shoot at whatever it is that's hurting me, okay? I don't mind if I get hurt… but I don't want to see you with a single mar on your body." Yami admitted softly, care shining through his voice. He was fully aware that that comment had drawn Yugi's full attention to him, as the curious duellist couldn't stop staring at the Pharaoh's face. Yami, however, didn't want to give away too many of his emotions, and never looked back.

"Come. Ryou may be getting nearer… and the only way we can find out is if we continue," Yami stated, beginning to shuffle his way into the narrow opening in the wall.

Yugi waited until only Yami's trainers could be seen before sighing and lowering himself down to his stomach. Bracing himself for an awkward and uncomfortable journey, the little hikari began to follow his yami.

The only advantage that Yugi could withdraw from this stuffy tunnel was the fact that he got a rather nice, and arousing, view of Yami's behind. Even if Yugi knew that this was neither the time nor the place for his love towards Yami to distract him, the young man began to feel himself getting warmer… in the lower regions of his body. With a growl, Yugi ceased staring at Yami's beautiful rear and concentrated on making it through the humid tunnel.

It was only then that Yugi finally began to realise that he was having difficulty in breathing. He was panting, his breath coming out in ragged, harsh gasps, beads of sweat forming on his brow. The sudden shock began to make the angel panic, which automatically led to him panting even harder, his blood rushing around his body way too fast for it to handle…

He needed to escape. Now.

_ The Sacrament of warmth is true… The Sacrament is you… _

_Seto and Jou_

Ten, solid hours, and not even one of these had passed. Seto was very, _very _tempted to simply pay the pilot to skip the security video and get on with the most direct route to Domino… but he was too tired. He knew that to save Ryou, and possibly Bakura, he and the Mutou's would need their strength.

Provided, of course, that Yami had heeded the CEO's warning, and did not follow the Tomb Robber down into the caves. For, with so many caves there, and so many hidden entrances that all led to different chambers, and perhaps even different tombs… whom would know if they even ended up in the same area as each other?

Seto tried to close his mind off. But Jou was having trouble with his belt… he couldn't get it slack enough. Seto rolled his eyes and caught on with his slightly kinkier side… this could be translated into a very… adult scenario. Leaning across his partner slightly, he gripped the black straps himself and adjusted it for the blonde. Whilst the help was given, Seto _accidentally _brushed his fingertips against Jou's groin, making the blonde groan quietly. Smirking, Seto began to run his long, skilled fingers up and down his lover's leg, teasing slightly when he massaged the insides of Jou's thighs. Jou arched, trying hard not to get too aroused, or moan too loudly.

_ The Sacrament is you… The Sacrament is you… The Sacrament is you… The Sacrament is you… _

Seto sensed the trouble his partner was having, and was only encouraged further. Whilst one hand continued to provide attention to Jou's inner thighs, his other began to lightly skim the flat expanse of Jou's stomach, stroking the muscle lightly. Gods, that touch was so light… so completely erotic that Jou couldn't hold back a moan. He began to arch slightly, but found his belt restricting him somewhat. The fingers on his thighs were getting ever so slowly towards where his arousal was beginning to stir…

"…Seto…" Jou groaned, resting his head on his love's shoulder. Grinning wickedly at the opportunity, Seto nipped the pale column of flesh that was exposed to him, nibbling and sucking. He reached Jou's chin, and slowly rose his eyes to stare into Jou's own.

"So… how don you think we spend this ten hour flight, hmmm?" Seto purred, his fingers lightly touching Jou's groin through his pants. Jou arched in response.

"Um… excuse me, Sir… would you like any refreshments?"

Seto growled and stared at the obviously very dim stewardess. Oh, if only looks could kill.

_ You know our scared dream won't fail… The sanctuary tender and so frail… _

_Ryou_

Chocolate, blurred eyes tried to focus on the thing before him, but his eyes did not seem to co-operate with Ryou's needs. Blinking quickly to try and clear his vision, the snowy-haired hikari tried to sit up… but found his arms trapped, far above his head. Twisting his head around slightly, Ryou noticed that they were bound together, pinned above his head, by a lock.

Had Bakura been present, Ryou would have liked this position. Unfortunately… unbeknownst to Ryou, he was avoiding mummies by hanging onto the ceiling… and was still a fair distance away from where he was.

"Ah… so you've finally awoken, little Ryou?"

Immediately Ryou tried to find the source of the voice, but the side of his head throbbed angrily. He cried out in pain, and tried to clutch at it… and then remembered his current position.

_ The Sacrament of love… The Sacrament of warmth is true… _

"Oh, don't worry about that… it will heal in no time at all." The voice assured him, a mocking tone filtering in behind the fake concern.

"Who… are you?" Ryou asked slowly, his voice husky and low. Again he tried to shift, but found himself unable to do so.

The voice which belonged to – seemingly – no one laughed cruelly. "Oh, but don't you care more for why you are tied up? And why you are my bait… the trap in which Bakura has fallen for?"

Ryou looked away, to the side. He could see a collection of flickering torches to his left, with various Egyptian artefacts standing proudly beside the light. Dark, sand-like walls carried these things, with small alcoves for the artefacts to stand in. Bars further imprisoned the little light, and suddenly, Ryou's head exploded in pain.

"SHIT! What the hell-?"

_ You know our sacred dream won't fail… the sanctuary tender and so frail… _

"Language, Ryou. We needed to… ah, numb the pain for you whilst you slept… of course, we would have used modern anaesthetics, but… they are so difficult to come by nowadays, aren't they?" A rhetorical question. How pathetic. "But anyway… hadn't you better rephrase your question, little Ryou, hmmm?"

Ryou hated doing this, but he didn't want to get hurt. Turning to his right, he saw only the same as what he did on the left. No sign of anyone… or anything.

"Fine… who are you, were am I and where is Bakura?"

Another dark laugh. "Ryou… I am a mere spectre to you humans. An image long since passed… a phase that only lasted several thousand years before falling into dust. If you have studied history well enough… then surely you will know what I mean. You will know what I mean, but can never understand how… broken I feel.

_ The Sacrament of love… _

"As for where you are… you are in a temple, where Bakura shall never know of where to find. He and the Pharaoh, along with his hikari, are searching for us in this very tomb. But they shall never learn the truth of my catacombs… why, this tomb is so complex, it almost mimics one's memory…"

Ryou snapped. He had complete confidence in Bakura, and knew that he would do everything within his power to ensure Ryou's safety.

"I bet you that Bakura and the other's will find me, you bastard!"

At that outburst, the lights sputtered slightly.

"If you win, I let you go… but if I win… then I can claim your life!"

Ryou shuddered: he knew that he should not do this, but felt compelled to do so. He nodded.

"Deal."

Then, suddenly, from out of the gloom came a gnarled, ancient hand, decayed by the twists and tests of time. Ryou suddenly realised what the creature had meant by spectre… and screamed.

_Bakura_

Bakura suddenly shivered, pausing as he swung, motionless, on the bars of the ceiling for just one moment.

He had almost heard Ryou's voice, and then a piercing scream to follow it. In a moment of pure madness and fear, Ryou was known to make ridiculous bets… could this be the case now? Or was Bakura simply getting edgy because Ryou was nearby.

_ The Sacrament of warmth is true… The Sacrament is you… _

Even though the latter was most appealing… Bakura somehow knew that it was both.

Yami's koi: well. That concludes this chapter of Guess they're in love! I wish to thank all of my lovely reviewers, and also the amazing game that inspired this chapter. For legal reasons, I won't say what game, but I will admit that I don't own it. Period. So… R&R, my lovely reviewers? Or at least submit me some fan art on our review? … nn Ja ne!


	9. Wicked Game

Yami's koi: wow. This is the… eighth chap of Guess They're In Love. Thank you so much for your lovely reviews… no one even tried to guess which game it was that inspired me… so I'll just leave it a 'mystery.' If you know me, you might be able to guess it.

Neutral Man: please note that she took another five years to think up of a new song.

Yami's koi: yeah, it's always hard thinking up of a new song for each chapter… heh? But for this chapter, it is HIM with 'Wicked Game.' See you at the A/N's at the end, k?

_ The world was on fire, no one could save me but you… _

Bakura's hands were getting slippery. He knew that his determination would not let him fall, but his hands would eventually betray him. Damn. It was almost as if he was conspiring against himself.

Swinging forwards frantically, Bakura's eyes soon saw a raised piece of rock, shooting upwards from the ground, and he immediately headed towards it. When his feet were almost there, he felt his left hand slip from the bars. Releasing his hold completely on the ceiling bars, Bakura swung his body forwards, and fell silently to the stone below.

Unfortunately for him, even mummies have a keen sense of both direction and hearing. Even though they are blind and deaf, the fabled servants to the Pharaoh developed a special sense when they were killed. This sense involved destroying any intruder to the holy burial sites of the rulers of Egypt, and also those who held a presence of darkness. And as for Bakura… things didn't stand too far in his favour.

Bakura ducked backwards, against the wall, were the shadows were most dark, and crouched down, watching as the groaning, occasionally stumbling dead beings approached his stone.

Even though the stone could not be reached from where they were swiftly advancing, they bore long, curved knives that, Bakura knew, could easily do some damage. And, after confirming where Bakura was… the creatures of darkness would then do whatever they possibly could to lure the Thief into going down.

_ Strange what desire will make foolish people do… _

However, Bakura had other ideas. Keeping in the shadows, Bakura edged his way around to the other side of the stone he was upon, and, glanced around. It was risky, knowing that with a light source near by, the brown, ragged beings might see the light reflected from his eyes, and hone in on the location of where the Thief stood. It was, alas, the only way that Bakura could think of getting to where he was needed most.

Exactly where this was wasn't an issue. The only thing that Bakura knew was that Ryou needed him… now more than ever.

A groan, and the mummified, dead slaves to the Pharaoh of ancient times slashed blindly against the stone before them, on the stone where Bakura had firstly landed. Soon they would figure him out, so the Tomb Robber had little, if any, time to lose.

_Yugi and Yami_

Yami sensed the trouble that his hikari was having in breathing and so shuffled along faster. The air was so close, and the extra body before the boy was definitely not helping Yugi's case. When Yami reached the end, therefore, he literally pulled Yugi out of the hole and calmed him. With Yugi panicking, it would make him breathe faster, which would, eventually, cause him to not appreciate the amount of air that he had… and would most likely either faint or die.

_ and I never dreamed that I knew somebody like you… _

Yami would allow neither to happen.

He rubbed Yugi's back, reassuring him with soft, pleasant words in his ear. After several tender moments of this, Yugi collected himself and thanked his yami. The Pharaoh smiled and felt a warmth illuminate his Soul Room… he only hoped it did not reach his precious hikari, but he doubted that at such a time, Yugi wouldn't have minded.

Looking around, Yami's eyes narrowed. A fake coffin, designed to mislead Tomb Robbers from the real chambers of fortune and greatness, was placed in the middle of the room, raised from the ground by a stone platform. Steps led up to the top of the sarcophagus, reinforcing the idea that Thieves would be fooled. To the right of the coffin, was a boulder that seemed to be melted in as a doorway, frozen into the wall by the irreversible sands of time. Just at Yami's eye height was a keyhole… yet it was more like a talisman of some sort would fit into it, and not a key. Some more steps to the left of this doorway led downwards, past the sarcophagus and into a hidden chamber.

Yami pointed to the steps, nodding to Yugi.

"I understand… if you don't want to go in there, Yugi. You can wait here if you want."

Yugi's eyes narrowed. "Let's go," He said determinedly, heading down the narrow stairway before the more adventurous of the two. Yami sighed, wondering at how hikari's could ever be understood right down to the core, before following his little light down.

As soon as they both were inside the chamber, however, the door slammed shut behind them. All of a sudden, a sound of stone scraping against stone echoed through the room, and looking up, the Pharaoh saw them: huge spikes, pointing down at the two intruders.

"YAMI!" Yugi screamed, pulling on his beloved's hand. He raced towards the opposite wall, and Yami only understood why when his light's hand curled around the lever and yanked it down. The scraping, eerie noise ceased… and the spikes shuddered to a stop. The door, however, remained close. And it was the only exit in the room.

_ And I never dreamed that I'd need somebody like you… _

"Shit…" Yami muttered, gazing at every wall with mounting panic. What if they were eternally trapped in this room? What if Yugi had not only stopped the spikes, but also –?

A glimmer of gold in a nearby corner caught Yami's eye. He stared at it for a moment, and darted around the edges of the room (just for safety,) to reach it. When he approached it, he remembered the chamber before this one, and the strange lock. It seemed to be in the exact same shape as what was engraved into the wall outside! This was the key that they had been waiting for!

Yami reached over and examined the piece one more time before gently lifting it from its stand. As soon as he did so, he heard a snapping noise, and he whirled around, guns pointed at the source of the noise… the opening door!

/Oh, I'm good. Just admit it/ Yami thought to his light as they quickly scampered from the room, tripping slightly over the uneven surface of the floor. Yugi only rolled his eyes in response, before silently making his way up the stairs. It took all of the Pharaoh's self control not to stare at the ass in front of him.

Slowly they neared the wall, and, with Yugi's gun loaded and pointing at the wall, Yami placed the item in the door.

_ And now I… _

For a moment, nothing happened. All that occurred was a glinting of the golden key in the door, and then the wall slowly folded in on itself, leaving a large gateway for the two spiky-haired Duellists to enter through.

"Keep your gun focused, Yugi. We are no longer in a chamber that we know everything about." Yami said softly to the boy behind him, as he slowly crept into the new room. Across the walls were hieroglyphs, and Yami paused, igniting a flare to hold up near to the wall so that he could read.

"What does it say, Yami?" Yugi asked innocently, standing beside his darkness in a fluid movement.

_**Bakura**_

Bakura took a few steps back, and prepared himself for the jump ahead. He took several breaths, as he stared at his destination. The jump was about four metres, which would make any Thief nervous if they had their right state of mind with them. Unfortunately for Bakura, he could feel fear only too well. And the mummies were closing in on where he was.

With another deep breath, Bakura raced forwards in one long stride, and leaped. He raised his arms whilst in mid air, praying that the impact would not affect his ability to grip onto surfaces. As he neared the raised stone, he heard the mummies groan in confusion behind him, and then the cling of metal colliding with stone. That would buy him some time.

_ Wanna fall in love… And I wanna fall in love… _

Just before Bakura's body came slamming into contact with the rock, the Tomb Robber's fingers gripped onto the top edge of the sandy surface. With an inward sigh of relief, Bakura pulled himself up, and instantly crouched down in the shadows of the dimly lit room. Looking around, he noticed a dangling, gently moving rope, fluttering down from where he had presumed to be the ceiling.

Bakura grinned and rose to a stand, flattening himself against the wall to conceal himself from the mummies' short-distance view range. Ah, this would be easy. All he had to do was follow the wall around and then swing on the rope, or climb up it, to get to Ryou! It wasn't that difficult…

And so, Bakura put his plan into action. He made it to the edge closest to the rope, which hung about two metres above the mummies' heads, and stared up into the ceiling, and found just that. He instantly ruled out climbing the rope, and then stared around at the nearby walls. It didn't take him long to find a very narrow, very well hidden tunnel in the wall. If he swung from the rope, released when his feet, swung out before him, seemed to 'touch' the bottom of the hole, then he should land, expertly, in the tunnel.

If he didn't, of course, then he would have to face the mummies' fractious state below… and that, Bakura decided, was not what he intended to do. Therefore, he swung his body weight backwards and forwards, making the rope swing. Just when Bakura's feet seemed to touch the bottom of the tunnel, the rope snapped. The Thief's eyes widened and he released a small cry out surprise. Fortunately, his height for swinging had just been enough for Bakura to make it across the gap, and through the small hole.

_ … With you… What a Wicked Game to play… _

And there Bakura went, sliding down the gritty, winding passageway that eventually widened so that four men could walk side-by-side in comfort. Still the Tomb Raider slid, his feet stretching down. As various tunnels and side-areas rushed past, it suddenly occurred to the silvery haired yami that he would, eventually, have to make a landing.

But what with his current speed, and the gradient of the slope… something told Bakura that he was in for a rough landing.

"Oh, shit…"

Contradicting everything that he had once been trained to do, Bakura panicked. Sadly, he closed his eyes and squeezed his hands into fists by his face, shielding it from any damage the slide may have given him.

"Ryou… Oh Ra, I only hope this thing has a nice, comfy landing at the end of it," Bakura mumbled to himself in Egyptian, the familiar, stereotypical Tomb surroundings causing him to fall into his first tongue. The slope made another dramatic drop down, and Bakura felt his stomach drop… before he felt it connect with the stone, cold ground.

_ To make me feel this way… _

'Nothing's ever been the way I want, has it?' Bakura thought to himself bitterly, easing himself from the ground once he regained his bearings. He looked around, eyes narrowing as he realised that he did not have any idea as to where he was. The Tomb Robber had hoped, foolishly enough, to land in a tomb he had previously been in, and then he would retrace his steps and find himself a different way to Ryou… free from annoying, slashing, hacking mummies.

However, things just didn't seem that way. A golden tomb was just up ahead, with a small hill descending downwards behind him. Dark shadows concealed various passageways, yet with the little light that Bakura could see with, the glittering of gold plinths in the darkness caused his heart to rise. Yes, this was what he was born for… to raid tombs of their riches! Nothing, in Bakura's eyes, was better than having to race through explosive-filled chambers, leaping across sickeningly high caverns, speeding past wild dangers to avoid death, to cheat that threatening blackness do many times. Of course, Ryou was the one who could distract Bakura form such things, keep him sane… but was it honestly enough?

Bakura pondered at that for a moment, but before he could get very far, he heard a scuffling noise behind him. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, and slender hands gripped at various weapons. In one hand, Bakura held a sword: in the other, a gun. Both very efficient weapons… and both would ensure that the job was seen to and sorted. There was no way around that.

_ What a Wicked thing to do… To let me dream of you… _

What he saw next was a shadow, creeping along across the wall where a sudden curve blocked whatever was coming from view. Bakura jumped to the side immediately, hiding himself somewhat from the approaching enemy. Anticipation tightened in his stomach to form an enjoyable, excited knot. He only hoped that his breathing, or a glint from one of his weapons, did not spoil the surprise.

And what he saw next, as the shadows grew smaller – a sure sign that the new arrival was nearing, just about to turn the corner – made his jaw drop.

An innocent, pure hikari wielding a gun, a small amount of courage glimmering in his lavender eyes. Narrowed, serious eyes next, regarding the unfamiliar surroundings with great suspicion. Bakura sniggered in his head as he realised that he could very possibly get away with pulling just a very small prank on the two. When Yami had just passed him… he leaped from within the shadows and landed expertly on the Pharaoh's back, covering his eyes with his callused hands.

"Guess who…" Bakura whispered in the Game King's ear, suppressing a snigger. Yami growled and the Tomb Robber felt the tense mood shift from one of both anger and amusement – the latter probably from Yugi.

"Damn you, Tomb Robber."

_ What a Wicked thing to say… _

"Aw, Yami, are you scared of an ickle tomb? Does the idea of a mummy with a big axe scare you?" Bakura asked sarcastically, releasing his hold on Yami entirely, watching the Pharaoh's face for reactions. Oh, the aftermath of fear on his face was absolutely priceless. Shadows jumped across his face, the flickering torches held in brackets on the wall creating an even eerier atmosphere.

"Bakura, please. I've just had to kill something and I'm not very proud of doing it." Yugi said quietly, staring down at his shoes. Pain washed over his features, causing Yami's heart to tighten. He hated seeing his light being internally tortured… for it was one thing that Yami could not heal, or help him deal with.

Bakura, however, seemed impressed. He folded his arms and stepped back to regard Yugi's entire frame, looking at him from top to bottom.

"You're made _your _first kill? Now, that's amusing." Bakura stated, embracing Yugi in joy, catching the slightly fragile hikari by surprise. He noticed Yami's jealous, fuming face and smirked at him over Yugi's shoulder. "So, what was it? A mummy? A spider that Yami was so afraid of that he couldn't move and could only scream like a little baby girl?" Again, another dark look. Oh, if looks could kill, then Bakura would not have lived to utter the last three words of that sentence. It did seem, however, that even the Pharaoh's powers had their limits. Instead, Yami settled for the mouthing of the words, 'Fuck off,' to warn the Thief of what could come if he continued. Bakura smirked and tightened his grip on Yugi, pulling him even closer. He did love a challenge.

_ You never felt that way… _

"I killed a scorpion."

Bakura almost laughed. Instead, he turned his head towards Yugi, and whispered something in his ear. And all the while, his chocolate coloured, seductive eyes searched the King of Games' for reactions.

"How cute." Bakura whispered, smiling as Yugi tense slightly. He knew that the teen was probably thinking of Yami, but didn't withdraw at the thought. The more uncomfortable things got, the happier Bakura would be. After all, he had learnt to adapt to varied surroundings very quickly when in Egypt, and at an early age, too.

Trouble was, with Yami's evil looks being thrown his way; it was all Bakura could do to laugh.

_**Jou and Seto**_

"Passengers, we are now approximately ten hours away from our destination. Please feel free to purchase ear phones to watch our epic movie, or some of our refreshments, which shall be coming around shortly. Thank you."

Seto's eyebrow twitched. Jou's head was leaning against his shoulder, the golden strands tickling his face. Despite the nice, romantic atmosphere, he still couldn't relax. He could almost feel Yami and Yugi so stupidly following Bakura to their early deaths'. That was, if Bakura had even gone into those caves.

"…Seto…"

_ What a Wicked thing to do… to make me dream of you… _

Kaiba's azure eyes averted and looked into Jou's hazelnut ones, the ones warm with feelings of love, and yet also horniness. Jou rubbed his hand against Seto's thigh, smiling as he watched the CEO's face for reactions. It had the desired effect, so the blonde leaned in and placed gentle, soft butterfly kisses against his love's jaw line, slowly working his way up to Seto's lips. When he got there, he paused, staring up into Seto's eyes. The look there told him everything: how much he was loved, how exasperated he was feeling, how concerned he was for his friends' safety…

Words were no longer needed in their relationship. And Jou was thankful for that. They understood each other well enough that a single look could express to the other how they were feeling, and what should be done… even if they did not share a mind link, the two were still amazingly close. Never would they allow a single look to pass by without conveying their own emotions at the time, or exchanging loving gestures.

This time, however, Seto broke the look. He leaned down slightly and pressed his lips up against Jou's, hard. Without even needing to think, as it was now automatic, their lips parted, and their tongues engaged in a passionate, fiery duel. Warm, moist tongues slid against the other, fingers entwining in each other's hair, the familiar, loved warmth spreading through their lower bodies as their touches intensified, Jou being lifted up by his lover to sit on the CEO's lap. Their hips touched, and Seto thrust upwards, their clothes arousals connecting through the cloth. Jou broke the kiss and, with a groan, ground hard and fast against Seto. He soon had to stop, however, and broke away from his lover, fixing his rumpled clothes.

"Mutt! Why'd you stop?"

The rattling of a trolley and the clicking of a woman's shoes approaching answered his question.

_ And I… wanna fall in love… And I… wanna fall in love… With you… _

"Refreshments or duty free items, sir?"

Seto would thank Jou later.

_**Ryou**_

Out of the darkness loomed that face again. The one that caused Ryou to scream. The figure made a demented smile; the bandages stretching even further across the bridge of its nose until it look as if they were going to snap.

"Why bother screaming, Ryou? No one's here to save you… because they're all dead…"

For a moment, as Ryou stared, terrified, into the glimmering eyes of the demon before him, he believed it. Then his eyes narrowed, and realisation and his beliefs washed over him again.

"No. Bakura would never let me die to something like you! He'd rather fuck the Pharaoh first!"

"The Pharaoh!" The monster exhaled in a hiss of old, sickeningly stale breath. "Ah, but if he was here, then he would have to face a few home truths about his past… and about his entire future. He is predestined to torment someone day and night, forcing them to the brink of insanity before they plunge into the bowels of my homeland."

_ The world was on fire, no one could save me but you… _

Ryou swallowed, yanking at his chains. It had no effect. "And where would that be?"

The creature emitted another strange howl. "Depression! Pain! Sorrow! Torment! Death! Eternal despair!"

Ryou then gasped, and realised just who this mysterious being was. He moved forwards, towards Ryou, and the little one's suspicions were confirmed.

The being before him had skin as dark as the jackal's, his old allies': his eyes as cold and as fierce as the deathly battles that savaged through the lands of Egypt: and his face as twisted and scarred as that of the hearts' of many during the reign of Atemu. Now it was clear who this creature was… now it was clear why nothing fresh and pure grew in these tunnels. No wonder everything was so deadly. No wonder many things had been resurrected to do his bidding, until the time was right.

"Set!" Ryou gasped, trying to sit up before his body was snapped back down again by his simple but very strong restraints.

_ Strange what desire will make foolish people do… _

More bandages stretch. "How perceptive of you, little Ryou."

"B-But… but you were imprisoned! Locked away in a tomb in Egypt, never to be released!"

It was then that the bandaged finally relaxed, and Set's eyes took on a very interested look.

"Bakura never told you? Deary me, he must love you even less than what you think…" Set's eyes then glisten with malice. As Ryou knew nothing of his own release, the truth could easily be manipulated… and Ryou wouldn't be able to tell if it was a lie or not.

"Well, I suppose I had better tell you everything, right from the very beginning…"

_ No… And I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you… _

_**Flashback**_

_Bakura's stealthy moves and quick decisions had got him so far… but just what exactly he was hunting, he wasn't sure. All he could tell that there was a certain… presence within this entire burial ground that had allured him. It was something that he couldn't explain. Shaking his long, wild locks away from his face, he touched at his cheek, right over his scar, and growled. He would _not _allow anyone… or anything… to do that to him again. _

_Bakura's head edged slowly around the sandy, musty smelling corner, and he grinned. Various sarcophagi were scattered around in this next chamber, and they were half closed. Examining the nearest one closer, he could tell that they were empty. That meant he had either dealt with them earlier, or they were roaming around in the tombs up ahead. _

_It didn't bother Bakura. After all, killing and solving mysteries were all a part of his job description. _

_Suddenly, Bakura whipped his head back, checking that he wasn't being followed, by a presence neither dead nor alive, before darting out form his hiding place, and in full view of the chamber's entrance. He looked around, seeing an exit to his right, and he moved towards it. _

_ And I never dreamed that I knew somebody like you… _

_Before he did so, however, he read several inscriptions on the wall. As a commoner, he had not learned how to read or to write, but a friend had once taught him several basic hieroglyphs. Ever since first learning how to write his own name, Bakura had striven to learn more. Tomb raiding, however, was his first love. _

_Since there was nothing of great interest engraved in the walls, apart from various tales of a deceased Pharaoh that tragically died during his thirties, Bakura ventured onwards. To his surprise, there were no mummies or scarab beetles in this tomb. _

_Something was obviously wrong. And immediately Bakura associated it with the sarcophagus in the middle of the tomb. _

_ No… And I… wanna fall in love… And I… wanna fall in love… _

_It was a large coffin, which gave rise to the belief that someone very important was buried inside of it. Yet it also hinted that someone disobedient was inside it, too. Whichever way things turned, Bakura was prepared. He scanned the walls for any inscriptions that he could translate, but all seemed too advanced for him to comprehend: something that he didn't take to very well. Bakura hated being so oblivious to everything… it just made him feel so degraded. _

_However, he didn't dwell on it for too long. He had to wrench the coffin open; otherwise some of the greatest riches would remain lost to him. _

_Bakura first switched swords: he didn't want his best weapon to become tarnished and weakened by the coffin. Lifting the handle of his sword to the opening of the casket, Bakura began to apply pressure downwards. He felt his sword bending, and was glad that he had used his old, battered sword, that would be discarded of anyway by the mission's end. He would, most definitely, have enough money to buy a new set from a local blacksmith. _

"_Come on, bastard," Bakura growled, seeing the sarcophagus budge slightly. Seeing an opening, Bakura slid his fingers upwards and pushed towards the ceiling. After several moments of a small struggle, the large container of the dead opened. _

_And then, staring down into the empty eyehole sockets of the decaying, foul-smelling creature inside, Bakura found various treasures surrounding him. However, the sight of the dead body captivated the Thief's attention for a moment. Holes for eyes and nostrils gazed blankly into Bakura's very much alive ones. Brown, tattered scraps of bandage hung loosely from the thing's chest and limbs, long since torn and eroded away. Rough, tight and withering skin pulled against some parts of the bones, but there was little of that. _

_ Oh, with you… My love… And I… why… My darling _

_Bakura shook himself. He wasn't there to examine the bodies of the dead: he was a Tomb Robber, and the King of them at that. And his comrades, the enemies of the Pharaoh, would abandon him in an instant if he allowed himself to get entranced by a mouldy, probably ancient corpse. Come to think of it, it sickened Bakura himself._

_And so, snapping himself out of it once and for all, Bakura lifted the first prize from the coffin – a large, gold death mask, sure to be worth hundreds – just as the ground began to shake, and the squelching, ear-splitting noises of hacking swords and dead things approached._

_Bakura was in trouble. _

_ And nobody here… loves… no one… _

Yami's koi: wow! This is gonna be the most AMAZING thing ever! Um, I just had a clarinet exam, and tomorrow I've got a Science Exam. And if I fail, I'll have people running after me… seeking BLOOD!

Neutral Man: I bet that thought gets you off, doesn't it?

Nefertiri: let the girl speak! She knows what's goin' on.

Yami's koi: okay. I am so sorry for the late update, but I have been revising for exams as well as doing various other things… um, like drawing and putting my fan art on Check my drawings out, if you want to! I'm yamiskoi on there to, so just search for me and then that should lead you to my 'art'. Thank you so much for waiting for this chapter, I hope it left you all lusting for my blood at my 'cliffy..' TT I'm an id… But again, please review me. You're the people who keep this fic alive! IT'S ALIVE! BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!


	10. And Love Said No

Yami's koi: thank you! I've gotten reviews! **(Grins.) **And now for the announcement that was originally from Headstrong. The friendship between me and Neutral Man, or badboi1571, is over. He thinks I am something that I am not, and he is just being a complete idiot as to what I was feeling when I was twelve. If he could take his head from his ass for just one second, he wouldn't have been able to cope, either.

Nefertiri: and so, he's gone now. Forever.

Yami's koi: yep. So, my lovely readers and hopefully reviewers… read on! The song is gonna be… HIM, And Love Said No. Honestly, I can't find any other song to fit in with this chapter… and, plus, I need to celebrate having my Heartagram tattoo on my stomach/hip. See ya at the bottom! Enjoy!

_**Continue Flashback**_

_ Love's light blue… Led me to you… _

_The evil sounds that had erupted from nowhere began to get closer and, if Bakura was thinking correctly, he could detect a slight change of smell in the surroundings. Both heat and decomposing flesh met with his nostrils, and Bakura knew that they were getting closer. And quickly. _

_With that thought in mind, he tried to regain his balance whilst the ground shook, and looked around hurriedly. Bakura's mind was racing, thinking up of possible ways in which to avoid having to hack his way through an army of dead things. Again. Though it was a part of his job as a Tomb Robber, Bakura knew that there would be too many approaching for him to handle alone. _

_Bakura soon saw that there was nowhere, and then stared directly at the ceiling. Bingo. _

_Rummaging through a small pouch attached to his side, Bakura began to really panic. The sounds were getting increasingly louder, and were also affecting the Tomb Robber's ability to concentrate. _

_Ah-ha! As soon as Bakura's hands touched the rope, he yanked it out, gripping it tightly. In his hurry, however, the iron hook got caught on the back of his hand, scraping off layers of skin to create a bleeding gash. With no time to dwell on the pain, he aimed it at a bar that hung directly above the sarcophagus and, slamming the lid of the coffin closed, he leapt on top of it. He slung the rope high, praying that the metallic hook on the end would catch onto something. When it didn't, Bakura glanced behind him. Shadows were beginning to appear on the wall of the tomb, and again, a wave of alarm washed over his being. He had to act now! _

_ Through the emptiness that had become my home… _

_Staring back up at the bar above him, praying that this would work, Bakura slung the rope up again. This time, with a loud CHINK of metal striking metal, the rope dangled down, secured. _

_With no time to lose, Bakura jumped up and grabbed at the rope when he was at the peak of his jump. Once he had a hold of the long band, he began to manoeuvre himself up on the rope, so that the deadly beings below wouldn't be able to get to him. As soon as he reached the bar, he pulled himself up and fixed himself onto a seating position. The pole was quite a way above the sarcophagus and, grinning as he pulled the rope up beside him, Bakura saw that he was just in time. Beings with tattered bandages staggered into the chamber below, their long swords dragging along the floor, making tracks where they cut through the sand. _

_Bakura watched then, fascinated, as one drew a circle in the sandy chamber's floor with his sword, casually ignoring the throbbing pain in his hand. It went all the way around the coffin and, as soon as it had been done, the mummy fell into place with the other indescribably grotesque beings. They all stood on the outside edge of the circle and, with various cracks of bones; the mummies fell into a kneeling position. _

_ Love's lies cruel… Introduced me to you… _

_And all Bakura could do was watch, intrigued. What were they going to do? Worship the earthquake? With that thought, Bakura had to grab onto the bar beneath him, his grip suddenly tight. The chamber had suddenly given itself an almighty shake, and sand was falling from the ceiling above in some areas. Bakura stared at the ceiling, hoping that the roof wouldn't collapse on him. He had too many riches to be away with to die now. _

_And then, in a low, mumbled tone, the decaying beings beneath him began to chant an Egyptian Revival Ritual._

_Now, Bakura had never seen much magic in his life, and so had never believed in any of the spells that his ancestors had supposedly used. So when the chant began, he didn't grip the bar out of fear, but from the desire to laugh. _

_ And that moment… I knew I was out… Of hope… _

_But still, Bakura listened on, intent upon hearing just what the beings had to say. As they spoke, the earth shook even more, and the Tomb Robber really had to get a hold on the bar before he could fully concentrate on the words being said. _

_In a rough translation, they were something like this: _

"_He who once terrorised us shall again destroy all, everything within this midnight hour. Our holy God who was once captured will now rise again, and nevermore will he be disregarded again. Locusts and plagues will be at his feet, jackals and death his ally. He who once terrorised…"_

_This has been repeated thrice now and, on the fourth time that terrorised was being said, a large crack formed in the centre of the coffin, splitting it open. _

_A dark, cloudy being emerged from the tomb, swirling up from the black, undecorated sarcophagus. It was an evil ka, and it wailed loudly as it whirled around every decaying being, before rising and circling Bakura up above, causing him to fall stock still, gritting his teeth. The ka cackled wickedly and, with a stroke of light so bright, so swift and so powerful that Bakura almost called it lightening, it disappeared back down, through the cavern from whence it came. _

_But the chanting did not stop, and now, with every beat of the eerie song, the mummies bowed down in their large ring, every movement in time with each other's. _

_And then, suddenly, a deafening roar could be heard. A second later, a large, half-bandaged beast burst through the remains of the coffin, rising out from its prison. Bakura, startled, cried out slightly, and scolded himself for doing so. He continued to watch, almost paralysed. _

_ Kill me… I begged and love said no… _

_The creature rested its large, yet oddly deformed feet on the gritty surface of the chamber. Short hair was braided in parts with golden metal pieces holding them together, but this seemed to be the only magnificent part about him. His skin was a dark black, yet was adorned with various scars and imperfections that made him look mildly frightening… or at least, from Bakura's point of view. His eyes were a dark red, lacking both mercy and happiness. Though it was hard to tell from where Bakura was, it was almost impossible to detect just what emotion the being was currently feeling. He even doubted that the mummies below could translate the emotion, either. _

_Yet as soon as the being stood to its tallest height, a wave of coldness chilled Bakura's innards… and instantly he knew who the creature was._

_It was Set. In Egyptian religious beliefs, Set was Osiris' dearest brother… and was also the only one who hated him. Set envied his brother for everything that he had: the people who idolised him, his wife… but how could he dispose of him? Death, of course, was the first idea that came to mind._

_But how to get away with it, was what Set had asked himself. And then, he smiled. He realised that if Osiris' body was never found, then no one, not even Isis, his wife, would be able to prove anything. The Legend says that Set himself did the job of killing his own brother, slicing him into fourteen pieces, and scattering them across the banks of the River Nile, where the crocodiles would have a feast. _

_ Leave me… For dead and let me go… _

_This legend goes on to say that Isis brought him back to life by gathering the fourteen pieces, and Anubis, God of the Dead, breathed life back into him. _

_Horus, however, the son of Osiris, was to deal with Set. After a long, gruesome battle, Horus came out as victor, yet his eye was lost, stabbed out by Set during their duel. Set was then imprisoned, and became the doomed God. However, he had sworn revenge on those who had captured him, and vowed also that he would live once again at the turn of a distant Millennia. _

_Bakura, knowing this too well, shrunk back as far as he could when Set looked around the chamber. Raising his slightly bandaged, tattered arms, he roared:_

"_Followers! I have reawaken… and now I can get my revenge." He paused, a sickly smile crossing his face when the mummies brandished their swords, making grotesque noises in agreement._

"_Firstly, I shall dispose of Osiris' son!" More cries of battle rang throughout the chamber, and Bakura felt a definite second shaking of the ground that was several metres below him. The walls too, shortly afterwards, began to vibrate, and the bar began to groan slightly in protest, making Bakura edgy. He listened on, watching as Set produced a long, battered spear, with a long, sharp point at the end. _

"_And then, after murdering my brother… I SHALL DOMINATE THE WORLD ONCE AGAIN!" A loud, ear-splitting roar echoed throughout the chamber, and the bar gave a definite jolt downwards. The motion caught Bakura off balance and, with a loud curse and manly shriek, he fell. _

_ Kill me… I cried and Love said no… _

_Luckily, however, Bakura managed to grip onto the bar with his single uninjured hand, suspended just three meters above Set's head. He pushed his other hand up, blood spraying at his face as he hung on for dear life. He only prayed that every mummy in the chamber was so fascinated by the awakening of Set that they didn't dare to look around when in his presence. The Thief stared down, past his dangerously swinging feet, to watch what was occurring beneath him. The sight almost made him dizzy, even though he wasn't afraid of heights. _

"_TO WAR!" Set roared, using his apparently magical spear to smash through the entire chamber wall. He strode through the vast gap he created, causing Bakura to swing dangerously again, almost falling. His fingers were beginning to slip now, sweat slickening both his grip and the bar. _

_Slowly, ever so slowly, the mummies followed Set. An evil cackle resounded throughout every tomb, resurrecting whatever mummies had not yet done so. _

_When Bakura could not hold on any longer, he released his grip, not daring to look down. And so, he landed, on top of the shattered sarcophagus that now mainly resembled a pit. Dust and the smell of death billowed out to greet him as he landed, and he coughed lightly, not wanting his presence to be known again. _

_ Love's icy tomb… dug open for you… _

_Now, Bakura had two choices: to either follow Set immediately… or raid whatever treasures Set had left, and _then _hunt him down. _

_And, of course, as Bakura's main interest was within the Robbing business… he choice option two. _

_**End Flashback.**_

Set's eyes gleamed in the darkness, his obvious malice and cruel ideologies being relived in his mind as he retold how he was reincarnated. Ryou could hardly move, trapped by his restraints, but still tried to watch the supposedly imprisoned God.

"But… but how did you get from there to here again?" Ryou asked, searching the stone tablet he was lying on for any rough stones… anything jagged enough to suffice as a point that would erode the ropes away… then all he would have to worry about would be getting past Set…

Set regarded Ryou's shifting, bothered form thoughtfully.

_ Lies in a cemetery that bears my name… _

"Well, obviously I was recaptured by the Thief," he admitted, seething as he glared at the wall just above Ryou's resting head, "But before he imprisoned me once again, I swore a vow to get my revenge. And that, I do believe, leads us to where we are now currently standing. You have been taken captive, acting as a bait, your mind link frozen… and all you can do is watch whilst I destroy Bakura's body. Your last thoughts will be about his mangles body, entwined with my sword th--"

"Why me act as bait?" Ryou asked hurriedly, his fingers curling around a stone. "Why not any of my other friends? And haven't you made the same vow of bringing death to everyone before now?"

Set looked at the dancing flames that cast a shadowy, eerie glow around the chamber, shaking his head.

_ Love's violent tune… from me to you… _

"I thought you are a clever person, Ryou. Honestly, why would I bother capturing someone that Bakura would have delighted in being imprisoned? The strategic way was to capture the one he cares about most… so that a certain amount of anger and panic would be aroused… and that's what I did." He seemed to have not heard Ryou's last question.

Ryou's ears seemed to twitch, but he could tell that Set was lying. Everyone was, when they said something along those lines. And it was pointless to wish for something that could never be attained, at any rate. For that would only cause more heartache, and Ryou had had enough of that to last him three lifetimes.

"Again, why me?"

_**Jou and Seto**_

Seto was now really pissed off. He couldn't make out with Jou purely because the airhostesses seemed to have a delightful habit of walking past when they tried. They couldn't use the toilets, as they were both too smelly and cramped enough for just one person, and various others took everywhere else that they could have gone.

And, to make things worse, they were experiencing turbulence, and the pilot hadn't given them any recent updates that had promised better flying conditions. This could mean a possible delay… and it wasn't something that Seto was about to deal with.

_ Rips your heart out, and leave you bleeding with a smile on your face… _

Ignoring the annoying light above him that informed everyone to keep their belts on, Seto flicked his open. Checking that there were no airhostesses looking in his direction, he made a run towards the pilot's cabin.

He slammed through the door, startling the sleep-ridden pilot somewhat. The CEO took the pilot by the scruff of his neck, holding him close to his face.

"Now, you listen to me. I was told that we would be in Tokyo by noon in their time. It's now eight in their time, and we still haven't crossed the half way point."

"Sir, I am sure that you will find--"

Seto wasn't in any mood to be civilised, and threw the pilot back into his chair. He threw him a small wad of cash form within his pocket.

"There. That's yours… if you can get this crap shack to move quickly enough to reach Tokyo by noon. You hear me? I know you can move this thing faster… and I'm sure that we're both clever people." Seto smirked. "Or not. But in either case, I can tell you wouldn't say no to… hmmm… how much have I offered you…" Seto mocked counting, keeping the pilot and his colleagues in the cockpit transfixed. "Hmmm… why, there's nine hundred dollars there! Think of what you could do with that…" Then Seto shrugged, flicking his finger through the bills carelessly.

_ Kill me… I begged and Love Said No… _

"But, of course, if you can't do that for me…"

"NO! WAIT! I CAN FLY THIS THING FASTER THAN ANYONE HAS EVER DONE SO BEFORE!"

Seto had to turn to conceal his grin.

"You make sure you do… or else I might change my mind about my very generous offer."

_**Yami, Yugi and Bakura**_

Bakura finally released Yugi from his tight grasp, still grinning at the Pharaoh behind him.

"It would be better, you know, if you told him everything… Pharaoh." Bakura said slowly, in Egyptian. Yami's face paled slightly.

"You can talk," Yami retorted, taking Yugi into his arms. "You okay?" He muttered to his hikari, in English. Yugi nodded, tense. He both hated and loved being so close to Yami… it made him feel almost loved.

_ Leave me… for dead and let me go… _

"But why are we hanging around here, anyway?" Bakura asked, eyes narrowing at the sweet love scene before him. "I need to find Ryou. I'm going now, so if you don't follow me, I'm afraid that you're finding your own ways out."

It wasn't an empty threat, either. They had lingered in that chamber for far too long, and Ryou could be in serious mortal peril. And, checking once more that their link was still damaged somehow, Bakura growled. He began stepping towards the golden, almost shimmering tomb before him, not caring greatly if he left his friends behind. Ryou was occupying his mind, which was completely expected.

Yugi started at that. "Hey, wait up!"

Bakura smirked, but didn't give any words or gestures to acknowledge that he had heard Yugi. For a moment, he almost paused; ready to raid various tombs and plinths of their prizes, but Bakura then reminded himself of two things. Firstly, Ryou was in danger. And secondly… the chambers were likely to be full of traps.

The golden archway – the opening to the tomb itself – soon approached. Bakura raised his arms to the side, a silent gesture for the two behind him to stop. He examined the doorway, pressing at the frame to check for traps. He scanned the floor, ensuring that there were no surprises there, either; and he also checked above the doorway. He found, surprisingly, nothing.

_ Kill me… I cried and Love Said No… _

"Okay… come on," Bakura whispered, his weapons gripped tightly by his hands. He knew, deep down, that he was getting nearer to Ryou. And that filled him with great happiness… but he kept in mind that nothing would be easy.

Yugi stared at Bakura's taller figure ahead, who occasionally stopped him and Yami to search the area for traps. It truly amazed him at how such skills had become instinct, and had remained that way even after five thousand years of dormancy. He could almost see him in Egyptian Clothing, various swords sticking out of sheaths from a makeshift belt of rope… could almost see the scars that he just knew Bakura would have.

"Bakura. Why not go down that hall?" Yami asked.

Bakura turned and glared at the Pharaoh, trying desperately to contain himself. If that hallway was safe, surely he would have gone down there, right? Without saying a word, he ripped his shirt open, tearing it off his body. He held it in his fingers before allowing it to flutter down the hallway.

The effect was instant. Before the cloth even touched the ground, it was being hacked to shreds by swirling, rotating blades that came from both the walls and ceiling. Bakura grimaced at Yami, his point proven. They moved on.

_ Love's light blue… took me from you… _

"Oh, and you owe me a shirt now, Pharaoh."

Yami almost cursed, but held himself back. Yugi giggled.

"I'd say the same thing, Bakura. That was a nice shirt."

Bakura smiled darkly and looked back at the small figure behind him. He nodded, then looked back straight ahead. He couldn't be distracted when they were in a tomb of gold, and there were traps all over the place. And, to make things worse, he was getting increasingly colder from his lack of clothing.

"Thanks, Yugi. But can we hurry up a bit please? I really am getting anxious about Ryou."

Yami smiled at Bakura's back, something that the Tomb Robber almost felt. "Why don't you just tell him how you feel when we find him?"

The reply was instant.

"Ha! After what he's been through in these tombs? Not likely. I don't want to find him alive, then kill him by telling him… you know…" Bakura's voice sounded somewhat awkward. "…That I love him."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, you know," Yami argued, as Bakura paused to examine another doorway. Once satisfied, they moved on. "How hard will it be?"

Bakura flinched. "Like you can talk!" He snapped, whirling around. He saw Yugi's eyes widen, and Bakura paled.

_ And that moment… I knew I was out… of hope, again… _

"Oh, shit," He whispered, "Yugi, there's no need for that. I'm just saying that… he should take his own advice."

Yugi blinked up at the Thief, then stared at Yami. They couldn't meet eye to eye anymore, especially after that outburst.

"You… like someone?" Yugi whispered, his voice breaking slightly as tears came into his eyes. Bakura shuffled away, feeling guilty and awkward. He wandered down the passage for a few steps, then eyed a lever on the wall suspiciously for a moment. He shrugged, pulling it.

Just when Yami was about to tell all, the floor dropped from beneath all three of them.

_**Ryou and Set**_

Ryou was pushing his luck, and he knew it. And, he soon discovered that the Imprisoned God was more observant than what he had first seemed to be.

"Aww, are we uncomfortable little Ryou?" He asked maliciously, an evil glint shimmering in his eye. Ryou shook his head, instinctively trying to curl himself up. He hated feeling so weak; he hated waiting for help to come… if there even was any. Bakura and the others might just think he'd fallen down somewhere, drunk, and that he would be back by evening.

_ Kill me… I begged and Love Sid No… _

But what also made Ryou shiver was the fact that he _didn't _know how much time had passed. And what made him really hate Set was the fact that he had never felt so lonesome before in his life. He was cold, hungry, dehydrated, and completely alone: There was no reassuring wave directed at him from the other side of the link: there was no one there, telling him to smile and to brave this ordeal: there was no one there to hold him…

"Little Ryou… how would you like to be let go?" Set purred, stroking along Ryou's face. Ryou tried to pull away, but the restraints were too effective. All he could do was try and at least suppress that cold shiver that rang through him when Set touched him.

"I would, but I know you wouldn't let me," Ryou bit out.

Set chuckled lightly.

"Horrible, isn't it? To have no way of getting free… being unable to avoid something you despise… I was once in your position."

Ryou grimaced. "So why don't you take pity on me because you understand what I feel like?"

Set's lips curled into a smirk. "Because I wouldn't want a precious little hikari running around in my resting place, would I now?"

_ Leave me… for dead and let me go… _

"This isn't even Egypt," Ryou argued, watching Set's eyes warily. He knew it was unwise to push his luck whilst around a being so powerful he could be dead in an instant, but Ryou was too pissed off to care anymore.

"That's what you think," Set retorted, in a seething mutter. He turned his back on the boy, staring at something Ryou couldn't quite make out. "Ignorant mortal. You'll see… I'll show you…"

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Well get on with it. I haven't got all day."

Set chuckled. "No, you have an eternity with me in this chamber… though I doubt I'll ever return, once I'm let free."

"What makes you so sure?" Ryou asked quickly, dropping his stone in excitement. He froze, keeping very still. Set turned back and regarded him curiously, backing away as he craned his neck around one of the many entrances to the chamber. He did the same for every exit, before slowly approaching Ryou.

"What have you been trying to do, Ryou?" He whispered, in a deathly low tone.

Ryou swallowed.

_**Bakura, Yami and Yugi**_

"SHIT!"

"ITAI!"

"URGH…"

_ Kill me… _

Those were the curses, words or incomprehensible groaning that the three made when they landed. Bakura was sitting upright, rubbing the small of his back: Yugi was stock still, his face pressed into the ground: and Yami was staring up at the hole they had just feel through, his face contorted in pain.

Bakura arched his back one more time and, hearing a rather loud crack, he groaned.

"Well, I'm never coming here for a vacation again," He mumbled, staggering to a stand whilst watching the two beneath him. He took pity on Yugi and turned him over, dusting the sand from his face. "You okay?"

"Ah… I don't know." Yugi answered slowly, opening his eyes to stare up at Bakura's face. "What… what happened?"

"Yes, Bakura, what happened?"

Before Bakura could answer, he felt a harsh, unexpected impact hit the back of his neck, sending him into the sand once again. Turning and looking up at the figure before him, he felt a pang of anger rush through him.

"The hell!"

_ I cried and Love Said No… _

Yami growled, balling his fists again. "You said you would check every single chamber before pulling anything! And now look… we could be further away from Ryou than ever!"

"Well, hello Mr Brightside!" Bakura snapped back, bringing himself up to his feet again. He felt bad about doing this, especially in front of Yugi, but it needed to be done. "And if you can do any better, then go ahead! But first, let's just see if you can pull your head out of your ass for just a second!" And with that, he glanced at Yugi.

"Look away," He warned, before swinging his fist back and colliding it with Yami's cheek. The Pharaoh fell to the floor, skidding backwards slightly.

"Now get a grip… and start acting like a man!" Bakura finished, loudly. He turned away from the yami and hikari for a moment, clenching and unclenching his fist as he stared at an ancient scar found on the back of his hand. He had so many that usually they didn't bother him, but he had always looked at this one and, for once, known that he himself had caused it. He shouldn't feel proud of this, he knew, but Bakura felt better having scarred himself than letting some other bastard have the honour.

"Bakura…"

It was Yugi. Bakura leaned against the sandy, ancient wall and turned, staring at the young light.

"I don't blame you if you want to hurt me, Yugi," Bakura said quietly, "After all, I've ruined quite a few things for you today, haven't I?"

Yugi nodded, producing his gun. He began to lift it up, and Bakura closed his eyes. This was it. Ryou's best chance was about to get shot.

The thing was, when the shot was fired, and it struck with something, Bakura couldn't feel anything.

Yami's koi: omg… it took me so long to write this… and for what!

Nefertiri: man, this was a bit of a gnarly chapter though… You didn't know where to go with it for a while.

Yami's koi: damn right! But I hope it did clear up a few things for people… Um, maybe not. But anyway! I hope this was enjoyable, and that it was different from the usually stuff everyone reads. Personally, I either go for lemons or suicide fics, but that's by the by. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing people, you all give me WAY too much credit… I don't think I'm as good as you say… I AM NOT WORTHY! I AM NOT WORTHY!

Nefertiri: She needs to get some rest. **(Covers yamiskoi with blankets) **There you go… Please R&R my hikari! Please! Onegai? Sil vou plait?

Well, anyway, thanks for reading. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


	11. When I'm With You

Yami's koi: hey! Ya all good out there?

Nefertiri: had fun, hikari? Has one of the games that has inspired this fic, chapters, scenery, etc, beaten you again?

Yami's koi: **(Pouts and puts down control) **Yes. (I don't own the game, don't report me, I just admitted it!)

Readers: so all this time we've been waiting, you've been gaming!

Yami's koi: nah, just getting more inspiration. Which is a good thing, actually… I even got some of the sentences Bakura's gonna say from lyrics, and some of Yami's attitude from one of the games… still no guesses? And just to clear up a debate… Set is the Ancient Egyptian God Set in this fic, not Set as in Seto was in Ancient Egypt as a Priest Set. Confused? I would be. Lol, and thanks for the reviews people. I'll see you at the end, kk? Hope you enjoy the chap! The song is… Hmmm… Simple Plan: When I'm With You.

_ I'm taking my time, I'm trying to leave the memories of you behind… _

Bakura's eyes had been squeezed shut, tightly. He didn't want to see himself gain another scar… it was just an old habit that would never die, not after what Marik had blessed him with.

But the bullet seemed to have missed.

And, with a loud, sickening squelch, the bullet struck something behind Bakura. Turning, the Thief saw the mummy fall to the ground, stunned for a few seconds.

"Thanks," Bakura muttered to Yugi, as they ran past the groaning figure on the Tomb floor, "But I could've done that myself very easily. It doesn't take much to kill the undead, see… But it would have been more sufficient, had you actually killed the monster. All you did was stun it."

"What choice do I have?" Yugi replied, "We need to save ammo and energy, Bakura. Whatever's gotten hold of Ryou's gonna want to keep him… so we'll need to kill it, right? And I bet that you might need some help. And I know that you don't like asking for… or getting help… no matter what you say, you're going to get it."

Yami nodded, levelling with Bakura. "He's right," He agreed, "But I wish that certain things would have been kept in the dark." He added, in Egyptian. He still couldn't believe that Yugi had shot a mummy, even if it was about to kill Bakura. And, what was even more of a surprise, was that Yami could feel no guilt, or sadness, seeping out from the other side of the link.

Bakura said nothing to that, knowing that Yami would soon take revenge, but as they skidded around a corner, he paused. Rings of metal were protruding from various points within this narrow, corridor-like chamber, on either wall. There was a gap between each one, and Bakura immediately recognised that this chamber would not be easy to get through for the two behind him.

With no shirt to activate the traps, Bakura had to be his own guinea pig. Taking a deep breath, and signalling to the two behind him not to follow, he smiled. If this would be the last thing he did, he would be thinking of Ryou.

Bakura took one tentative step forwards. Nothing happened. Bakura took another step forwards, his side almost level with the metal rings on the wall. He stepped forwards again.

At the first hint of a sound, Bakura leapt forwards, clearing several of the traps. He did, however, gain a large scratch down his left side, just as he lifted off to jump.

Glancing back, Bakura realised that the spikes would not stop. They snapped out of the wall, before slowly retreating back into their holes. And, from the looks on Yugi and Yami's faces, they were not relishing the thought of going through this chamber. Yugi's amethyst eyes were fixed on Bakura's bleeding cut that ran from down the side of his chest, to the bottom of his hip.

The Thief looked around, trying to see a way they could get through.

"You two! Crawl underneath the spikes! They can't get you, but you'd better flatten your hair out some… if you value your locks." Instantly, Yami patted his hair consciously. Yugi laughed weakly and fell into a crawl, making his way under the clinking traps just above him. Yami sighed, shaking his head and looking quite teary-eyed as he made his way under the spikes.

Once that was done, Bakura inched his way out of the tunnel. He checked this next area very carefully for any suspicious looking objects, before allowing any motion to take place. Luckily, the mummy that Yugi had shot, had merely found itself impaled on one of the spikes back where Yami had feared so badly for his hair. That bought them some time before the next undead creature made itself known, by whatever shape or form it so chose.

_ I'm gonna be fine, as soon as I get your picture right out of my mind… _

The problem was, those creatures could approach at any time, and Bakura would have to be ready. From that point forwards, he was not only finding Ryou, but he was protecting Yami and Yugi. If he got sliced open in the process, then it was fine… because it was Bakura's fault Ryou had ran off, anyway.

Then the Thief back tracked a little, and laughed lightly. All this because Ryou didn't know how to react when Bakura gave him a little striptease. That was an encouraging thought.

_**Ryou**_

"I don't know what you mean." Ryou said defiantly, shifting himself. "Like you said, Set, I'm just uncomfortable. This thing I'm lying on isn't exactly a nice, feathered, soft bed."

Set glared at Ryou, leering over his now still form. His face was inches away from the boy's own, and Ryou cringed. Close up, he looked horrible. The bandages that were in tatters barely concealed the eroded, decapitated skin beneath.

"No mere mortal should EVER utter my name," Set growled, in an evilly low voice. Ryou turned his face away, only to have it snapped back to face Set's own by a fierce slap.

"And you should listen to me," Set carried on, like nothing had happened, "You worthless little snake! How DARE you say my name like that, without any care or admiration! Why, Ryou, I want to know. Tell me."

Ryou shrugged as best he could. "Well, you've captured me. That's not usually a thing I look for in someone before I fall in love with them."

Set's eyes flashed dangerously. "Then let me look at what you _do _go for, then." And with that, Set flattened his hand against Ryou's head, pressing down, hard. Ryou gasped as he realised what Set was doing… and against his own wishes, memories were flashing back before his eyes.

_ I wanna feel the way you make me feel when I'm with you… _

_**Begin series of flashbacks**_

"_Bakura… you're sorry?"_

_A smile, weak and without happiness. "For every single bruise I've ever given you… for every tear that I've ever made you cry… For every single way I mistreated you… I am sorry. I don't blame you if you hate me, or can never trust me again, because I doubt that I could. I just… want you to understand that I am sorry."_

"_I promise… I'll never let you get hurt by him again. The last thing he'll see is the Millennium Ring sending him to the Shadow Realm."s_

_A weak, pathetic laugh, followed by a cough that hurt. "Honestly?"_

"_I promise. No one will ever hurt you… Ryou, as long as I'm with you… nothing will ever dare to hurt you."_

"_RA BE-DAMN THIS CURSED SHIT!" An arm was raised… and with a flash of light, the alarm clock vanished into nothingness, along with its annoying bleeps. _

"_Bakura!" A groan, and a room appeared before Ryou's eyes, "Why set that thing so late that you knew we'd be behind with everything, and then send it to the Shadow Realm? You said that after the toaster you wouldn't."_

_Incoherent mumbling as the sounds of bed springs shifting back into place brought music to the scene. _

_(Don't worry Ryou. We don't have to bother all that much anyways. Just need some food and clothes.)_

"_BAKURA! STOP IT!" Ryou twitched underneath Bakura's tickling fingers, closing his eyes as his legs kicked out helplessly. No matter what he did, he couldn't get the Tomb Robber to get off of him… which, in any other situation, would have been something he wouldn't have dreamed of doing. Hell, if those thoughts complied with what he usually dreamt about, he would CRY if Bakura left him when in a situation like… that. _

_But Bakura would not relent, and he carried on tickling his hikari into the night, willing to do this if just to hear Ryou laugh. He would do everything to see Ryou smile, do anything to hear Ryou say he loves him…_

"_BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! PHARAOH'S GOTTA CRUSH!" A teasing tone. He struggled for a moment, trying to force Ryou beneath the surface of the water… but, it seemed, Ryou had the same idea as his yami. _

"_Bloody hell, Tomb Robber, how did you guess? Is it just the way that I'm all over him that gave me away? Or… was it my light that managed to do that for you?" Yami said with a fake scowl, playing along with Bakura's tormenting nature. _

_Bakura paused, fending Ryou away for a moment. "As a thief, I am good at finding what is hidden. And, your erection isn't." _

_A grin, then, from someone who was assumed to be Bakura's enemy. "Neither is yours." _

_Ryou glanced at Bakura's crotch, and the Tomb Robber took advantage of the situation…_

_(BAKURA! I AM **SO **GONNA KILL YOU WHEN I GET SOME AIR!)_

_A smirk, followed by a mental laugh. ((And what makes you think that you'll get it? Taunted Bakura, giving his hikari some air. Never believe that I show mercy. I never do with my enemies.))_

"_Get off of it, Tomb Robber!" The Pharaoh cried angrily, yet meaning it in a jest, "He fucks me. No one else. And I'm not having a foursome, sod that. Not with you."_

_A tired, irritated look, "The only way your mind thinks, Pharaoh, is down there!" He pointed to Yami's groin._

_Bakura jumped onto a nearby table, dancing as he sang: _

"_So how was I to know, That the single bed was always meant for two? And not just anyone… it was meant for… ME AND YOU!" And with that, Bakura pointed at Ryou, in time with when he sang the last three words of the verse. The song continued, both sung to Ryou via the link and normally. _

_**End series of Flashbacks**_

_ I wanna be the only hand you'll need to hold on to. _

Set withdrew his hand from Ryou's forehead, glaring down at the young hikari. Ryou tried not to let any emotion betray him, but the silence was making him edgy. Set was not one to be quiet, and so, Ryou knew that something was being conspired.

In the end, however, Ryou had to break the silence.

"That didn't mean anything," He said, in a dark tone, "That just shows that I love my friends… that's all."

Set's eyes glistened evilly. "One more than the other, from what I can tell. But why fall for your own yami, Ryou? He's just like a twin… doesn't that horrify you?"

Ryou shook his head. "Not anymore, no." It was true. He had gotten over that a while ago, and he wasn't going to let the Imprisoned God change him back to that.

Set grinned. "So, you do love Bakura… ah, I have so many things to thank him for…"

Ryou tensed. What the hell could that mean!

_**Bakura, Yugi and Yami**_

Bakura pressed himself up against the wall, taking one quick look around the corner before glancing at the Pharaoh and his hikari.

_ But every time I call you don't have time… _

"What's wrong? Is something… out there!" Yami whispered, trembling in mock fear.

Bakura glared at him. "Yeah, we're fucked. One idiot, one Yugi (who I won't say anything bad about because he shot something), and one mastermind, namely, me. It does help that I've been in this Tomb before, though."

Yugi jumped at that. "You've been in this chamber before? What, today?"

Bakura shook his head, trying desperately to remember just when he had been in the tomb before. His mind was clouded; probably either from worries for Ryou or the freezing of the mind link.

"I… don't know." He admitted slowly, "… I don't think it was in this lifetime… perhaps when I was a Tomb Robber…"

Yami snorted, bursting out into fits of manical laughter. "Oh my god… are you honestly _that_ dumb?" He asked, once he could speak again, "Bakura… fucking hell…"

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "What!"

_ I guess I'll never get to call you mine. _

"Well, we were in Egypt then. And we're in Japan now… YOU MAKE THE LINK!" Yami roared, falling back into a laughing state.

Bakura growled. Yugi, however, gave the Pharaoh a panicked look.

"Yami! The mummies are gonna kill us if you speak too loudly!" Yugi warned, covering Yami's mouth with his hand. Suddenly, as if right on cue, a dull, low groan emerged from somewhere… and it sounded like it wasn't from behind them.

Bakura tensed, glancing back around the corner he had just checked. Sure enough, dark figures were shifting in the room; coffin lids being lifted by decayed, skeletal hands. Bakura turned to his companions.

"Ready to run?" He asked, not giving them much time to consider his query. Yugi just about got his mouth open when Bakura lunged for his jacket, and Yami's Puzzle to race them through the chamber. Bakura dodged an advancing mummy, kicking him out of the way. More of them followed what one had already done, and began to close in on the group.

Bakura growled. "GO, GO!" He cried, in Egyptian, to his friends. They immediately fled, leaving the Thief to his battle. He gripped his swords. "DIAHA!"

_ You're nothing at all, I know there's a million reasons why I shouldn't call. _

With a chink of metal striking metal, the fight began. Bakura parried on one side, wounding and slicing on the other. His swords slid through the eroded, bandaged beings easily, the sound awakening old memories of jobs that had gone well. Sickening crushing sounds of heads, and other body parts struck the floor, as well as black, gooey blood.

"BASTARDS!" Bakura snarled, killing a mutilated being on his left, whilst ducking a swing from the right. Stabbing the offending creature in the leg, Bakura retreated away from the circle of paralysed, groaning or staggering group, seeing that he had held them off to give him at least a minute's head start. He rounded the corner that he had not yet been around, and ran into Yami and Yugi.

"The hell! You…" Bakura sighed, pushing the two along. "Nevermind. Just go, go, GO!"

Bakura darted past the two ahead, so that he could scan each new area quickly. Somehow, however, he just recognised this place… it seemed so familiar… but, like Yami said, they were in Japan… but this was identical to an Egyptian Tomb he once raided.

In fact, it bore an uncanny resemblance to the Tomb of Set. Bakura stopped dead, realising this. He extended his hand out behind him, silently motioning for Yami and Yugi to stop. He gestured for Yami to keep a guard on the entrance to this vast chamber, whilst he inspected the Hieroglyphs. Taking a nearby torch from its bracket, he raised it up against the nearby wall and began to read the inscriptions.

'_To the left, the path of the sceptics. To the right, the path of the virtuous. Behind, the path to death. Ahead, the path-'_

Bakura already knew what the next line said. He didn't bother to read it, and instead whispered it:

"- Of shadow and escape."

_ With nothing to say, could easily make this conversation last all day… _

Yugi had watched this happen, quite curiously, and sought to question what Bakura was reading. "Bakura…" He only went on when the paling face of the Thief turned to face his. "… What does it say."

Bakura sighed, touching the wall as he stared up at the engravings. "Something that I read before… a long time ago." He looked at the Pharaoh. "I think we're in the Tomb of Set."

Yami snorted, glancing back through the entrance before approaching Bakura with amusement.

"Set? Ha! He was buried deep beneath the Egyptian sands, where no one would ever find him. I--"

_ I wanna feel the way you make me feel when I'm with you… _

"I found him," Bakura cut through him, ignoring what he said entirely, "When I was about eighteen, I'd say. I was raiding this tomb, then, I grabbed onto--"

"FUCKING RUN THEN!" Yugi screamed, pushing Bakura out of the way. A mummy had finally managed to catch up to them, and was swinging its scythe in a most deadly way. It had almost decapitated the Tomb Robber completely, but fortunately for him, Yugi had been kind enough to take action against such things.

Bakura glanced at the awful, rotten creature, and his mouth formed a curse.

"Shit. Yugi, ready to shoot?" Bakura asked, throwing himself to the floor to avoid getting his head sliced off. Yugi nodded and, after taking careful aim, shot the being squarely between its eye sockets.

_ I wanna be the only hand you'll need to hold on to… _

Bakura half-crawled, half-sprinted across the floor, quickly straightening out.

"No time for this shit… RUN!"

(Again?) Yugi asked to Yami, via their mind link, (We're gonna be toasted before we even find Ryou! And did you bring any food? My stomach feels like it's about to cave in any minute now.)

Yami swore aloud. He knew there had been something he'd forgotten. To appease his hikari, he asked Bakura if he had any (In Egyptian, mind,), and shortly after, energy bars and other stimulating foods were being thrown his way.

_((There you go, Yugi,)) _Yami muttered, passing him some of the energy food. Yugi sighed, tearing off the wrappers and eating them hastily. He hadn't even finished his first candy bar before Bakura rounded a corner, halting dead in his tracks.

He had definitely been here before. He had just done… _exactly _what he had done five thousand years ago. Forgetting about the other two, he slowly walked around the corner, a sickening feeling in his gut arising. If he wasn't mistaken…

_ But every time I call you don't have time… I guess I'll never get to call you mine… _

A large Tomb, with torches held in the walls, shone around near small alcoves, where various artefacts stood, were the last things on Bakura's mind. He stared instead at the stone tablet, of about two feet in height, that was situated in the middle of the room. Snowy spikes trailed down the tablet, and Bakura immediately felt a husky tone bringing itself to life, as he spoke his next words with disbelief and joy.

"Ryou?"

The head turned, and a face that had a bruise to one side came into Bakura's view. The Thief's eyes widened.

"RYOU!" He cried, racing over towards his imprisoned hikari.

To his surprise, Ryou shook his head in fear as Bakura approached. The Thief paused, confused at his light's response. Surely he should be glad -

"BEHIND YOU!"

Bakura, fortunately, ducked. A long piece of metal chinked against Ryou's stone 'table', causing the innocent light to cry out in fear and shock.

Bakura swirled around, his swords at the ready. He did, however, almost drop them when he saw who had just attempted to attack him. They lowered themselves, almost, and his eyes widened in horror and realisation.

_ Another lesson, I didn't get to learn! _

"YOU!"

Set flashed the half-mangled bones within his mouth at the Egyptian, possibly attempting an evil grin. "Hello, my rescuer." He purred, raising an arm to welcome Bakura into the Tomb. "I do congratulate you on making it this far, Bakura, but you do have a highly unfair advantage with all of this… after all, raiding this very same tomb again _must _be quite tiresome, right?"

Bakura's body stiffened. "But this isn't Egypt. I can't possibly be here again… no WAY." He was dimly aware of the two Mutou's behind him probably regarding Set with great awe and great terror.

Set sniggered. "What do you think the whole 'entry by cave' thing was about back there, Bakura?" He asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Egyptian magic was used there… but I never quite expected someone as familiar to me as you would appear… again."

At this, Ryou remembered what he had been told earlier, and decided to interject.

_ You're my obsession… I've got nowhere to turn… _

"Bakura, he told me that you released him, all of those years ago, back in Ancient Egypt! Bakura, he's crazy!" Ryou cried, traumatised. He had waited what had seemed to be an age for Bakura to come and save him… and it had actually happened! Since when had something good occurred on this vacation!

Bakura bit his bottom lip. "Yes, well, I--"

"And he's been reading my memory and thoughts, 'Kura, saying that I am his bait and that this is a trap! I think he's going to try and possess my body so that he can live again!" Ryou yelled, tears welling up in his eyes. he felt so weak and helpless.

Bakura sighed. "Ryou… I am so sorry. I _did _release Set all of those years ago… but I didn't know what tomb I was in! Hell, I didn't even know _how _I released him, so I can't really be blamed for--"

"How can you NOT know when you've released such a terror onto earth?" Yami whispered, fear in his voice. He couldn't take his eyes away from Set, the crimson seemingly darker in the dim light. "Obviously you did something to let him out!"

_ I wanna feel the way you make me feel when I'm with you… _

Set laughed. "Why, of course he did!" He said, raising his arms to the walls around him. "Remember that bar you sat on, Bakura? Remember how it went down a notch when you sat on it, as the earth shook? THAT WAS A LEVER YOU FUCKING RETARD!"

"THE HELL!" Bakura yelled back, glancing at Ryou's startled, almost confused face. "That thing… was a lever! But… but what about the chant?-"

"That chant was merely a ceremonial thing," Set answered calmly, smoothly cutting through Bakura's questioning. "It needn't have been said. However… I suppose it did have its purposes, as did you to me… ever wonder why I didn't kill you straight away, Bakura? That's because I thought you would be on my side, having let me go! I thought we would be on the path to destruction together!"

Bakura grimaced, walking around to the other side of Ryou's stone tablet. "I guess you thought wrong," He said softly, brushing back strands from Ryou's eyes. It didn't seem to bother the boy, but Bakura wanted to do his bit. From Bakura's pack, he withdrew a small dagger. He began working on the locks, whilst tearing the ropes that were attached to the chains. "And as for pairing up with someone? Sorry. But I worked alone in those days."

_ I wanna be the only hand you'll need to hold on to. _

With Ryou's arms now free, the boy could move. He sat up and immediately embraced Bakura, almost weeping as a wave of emotion crashed over him unexpectedly. The Thief held him tightly, resting his head on his hikari's shoulder. He dared to kiss his shoulder blade lightly.

"Shh… I'm here now… I'm so sorry I dragged you into this…" He whispered, gripping Ryou's waist tighter before letting him go. In Bakura's eyes, there was relief, affection and happiness. He had gotten Ryou back… his love…

At this beautiful sight, however, Set's conspiring mind concocted an evil plan. He smirked.

"During Ryou's stay, I've found out something VERY interesting you may wish to know of," Set said, eyes glistening with glee. Bakura turned to face the God, scowling evilly.

Ryou, however, paled considerably. He could guess what Set was about to say.

_ I wanna feel the way you make me feel when I'm with you… _

"Yes…" Set nodded, pleased that he had caught everyone's attention. His index finger pointed at Ryou and, with a quietly uttered spell, he stunned the hikari. Ryou was ridden unmoving, and so could not do anything to stop Set. His chocolate coloured eyes narrowed, and his face turned evil.

"Well… Ryou talked to me disrespectfully; without love or admiration in his voice."

"Who can blame him?" Yugi muttered, surprised at his own courage.

Set ignored him, carrying on. "So, I delved into his memories, wondering what Ryou did fall in love with… and what I saw was quite shocking…"

"SHUT UP!" Ryou screamed, "NO, I'M NOT READY TO TELL HIM, HE'LL HATE ME!"

_ I wanna be… the hand you'll need… to… hold on! I wanna make you… I wanna feel… _

Now it was Bakura's turn to whirl around and face Ryou. Ryou… wasn't ready to tell someone – a he – that he was in love with them? Well… his chances seemed pretty crushed now, didn't they? Who would even want to love someone like Bakura, anyway – he was a Thief, a failure as a yami, a terrible friend, a horrid person in general… what had he been thinking? Why had he even thought that he would be able to have Ryou fall in love with him? No, he… he was too dark, too evil for someone like Ryou... and besides, Bakura didn't deserve Ryou… not after the crimes he had committed.

"SET, DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" Yugi roared, to everyone's surprise. His hands were clenched into fists, his cheeks slightly dusted with an adorable pink. His yami did not say a thing… but his eyes were wide, with both shock and anger. If Set did this…

The God laughed. "Did no one ever warn you that I was always a malicious, dangerous bastard?"

"NO! IIE, ONEGAI!" Ryou tried one last time, knowing deep down that it wouldn't work. He prepared himself for the feelings of hatred that would surely crash over him from the other side of the link. His eyes fell to a close, Bakura's image etched onto his eyelids. No matter what, he would never allow that image to fade… not until he died.

Set cackled with laughter. "FUCK THAT! BAKURA, THE ONE RYOU LOVES IS… YOU!"

Bakura froze.

_ But I guess I'll never get to call you mine… _

Yami's koi: Dude… this is possibly the quickest Guess… update EVER!

Nefertiri: wow. It took you like, a week.

Yami's koi: I know… just so I can leave you all in suspense for another three weeks. **(Ducks vase) **Joke! Hey! I can show off my tattoo now, it's practically healed! Woot, woot! **(Dances)**

Nefertiri: and… isn't it true that this fic is almost coming to a close?

Yami's koi: um… yeah. **(Stops dancing, and gets tears in her eyes.) **I'm so glad that this fic got a lot of interest, but I'm sorry… there won't be many more chapters after this. I've had so much fun writing this… at first, Anzu was gonna be Set, but she was gonna ruin everything, but… wouldn't have exactly made a good story, would it? Well, what can I say now? Oh yeah, please R&R! It's the fuel that keeps me burning… and as long as my fingers can still reach out and type… then that fire shall never die. See ya sometime soon! Any fanart I will accept… um, anyone?…


	12. Soul on Fire

Yami's koi: mwahahaha… an update! And to think… I got reviews! Yay! I'm so happy!

Nefertiri: but tired… and hot. Take that how you will, but seriously. It's fucking boiling in this loft, and we have the fan on…

Yami's koi: okay… oddball. Well, here's the… is it the twelfth, or the eleventh chapter now? Aw, who cares, I'll tell in the morning. Thank you so much for the reviews… and here's the chapter! The song this time around is… Um… Dunno… Aw, I'll just leave it for this chap, eh?

Bakura's eyes darted over to Ryou. His light looked shocked, scared and tearful, his body automatically trying to make itself look smaller, insignificant. This… no way, this must be a dream…

But it wasn't. Ryou loved him? In… the way Bakura did to him? Did he want to be with him, forever?

Before Bakura could ask, however, Set bellowed with laughter.

"Why the tears, Ryou? Aren't you happy that he finally knows? So that now he can finally desert you, just like you always thought!" He cackled, obviously finding delight in the poor hikari's distress. "Don't worry… I was alone for many thousands of years, and look! I've turned out all right, haven't I?"

He was silenced, however, by a sword in his gut.

"You bastard," Bakura growled, twisting his curved blade around, feeling the blade snag on various innards. "Getting off on seeing other people in pain… no wonder the Gods fucking hated you!" He spat, releasing Set from his knife's torture. He pushed him backwards into a wall, and Bakura turned slowly to his hikari. In one fluid movement, he vaulted over the tablet, and stood silently before Ryou.

Ryou avoided meeting with Bakura's eyes; thinking that his yami would probably hate him… maybe even hurt him. But then… that wouldn't be the Bakura he had fallen in love with, lost all because of something Set had said. No wonder he hadn't said anything. The risks were too high.

Bakura sighed, brushing snowy locks from Ryou's eyes. The hand he used for this then tilted up his hikari's chin, gently persuading him to look up. Ryou blinked up at his yami, so many emotions running through his mind. Would Bakura hate him? Would he disown him? What did he possibly want from Ryou?

"Is he telling the truth, Ryou?" Bakura asked softly, trying to contain himself. He tried not to allow any emotion to show through his eyes, but he didn't mind keeping their now alive mind link.

Ryou almost bowed his head again, but was stopped by the hand on his jaw line.

"Ryou…"

Ryou sighed at the sound of his name being said like that, and stared directly into Bakura's eyes, showing him everything that he felt – fear, shame, guilt, love, apprehension…

"Yes… I love you, 'Kura." Ryou said quietly, his eyes filling with tears.

Bakura sighed, stroking his hikari's cheek. That was a relief… yet, it wasn't like he had panicked. No, he hadn't been worrying that Set was just finding an excuse to kill them… No, not at all!

"Good. Because I love you too."

And with that, Bakura leaned down slightly and captured Ryou's soft, warm lips with his own. His tongue caressed his hikari's lips and, in an instant, they parted, and Bakura plundered the sweet cavern. His moist, warm tongue stroked against Ryou's, and so began a passionate dance. Their tongues massaged each other, and, just as quickly as the kiss had begun, Bakura ended it, reluctantly.

He placed a kiss on Ryou's trembling lips, smiling. "I'm sorry that's had to be cut short… but there's something I must deal with." Ryou nodded, touching his lips, an innocent blush adorning his features. Bakura grinned and turned, facing Set.

"In a way, it's a good thing I released you all those years ago," Bakura snarled, his heart still racing from the kiss, "Because today is the greatest day of my life." He gripped his swords, choosing his traditional fighting method.

Set's face had transformed from being mildly sadistic, into a horrific display of anger and evil. The bandages hardly could stretch that far, and fresh tears were beginning to appear in the browning cotton.

"You're a bastard, Bakura," Set growled, pacing around the Tomb Robber. Bakura didn't move, trusting his ears to tell him where Set was. In his anger, Set upturned the stone tablet. In an instant, Bakura jumped to face his opponent, swords at the ready. Set merely bore his teeth, in a sadistic smile.

"Edgy, Tomb Robber?"

Bakura merely smirked, flicking his hair back. "No. Just on my guard." His eyes narrowed for a moment. "Yami, Yugi, have some sense. Take out your weapons and get ready to fight." Bakura glanced at his still blushing hikari, smiling widely. "Take these, Ryou." He said softly, throwing him his Uzi's. Ryou caught them, hardly able to contain his joy.

Bakura loved him! It was all he could do to not start dancing around the Tomb, killing Set as he went. Instead, Ryou gave one giggle, before drawing his guns and positioning them at the outnumbered, but still quite lethal God.

Yugi felt truly happy for Ryou, but he simply wished that something like that between him and Yami could transpire. He tried to push it from his mind, producing his own weapons, like Bakura said.

Yami felt a small wave of bitterness cross over from Yugi's side of the link to his own, and frowned as he aimed his own pistol. What was all of that about? He would have to question his hikari later…

… If they survived this.

Set nodded to Yugi, an evil look passing over his face. "Do you know what Diaha means, boy?" He asked, in his hoarse, ancient voice that contained malice, no matter what.

Yami glanced at his hikari, knowing that Yugi wouldn't know what it meant at all... Ancient Egyptian, sadly, had never been taught to the poor boy, and so it was fortunate that Yami was there. _((It means 'Duel Start.')) _He whispered to him via the mind link. Yugi's eyes narrowed and nodded.

"Duel Start."

Set would have quirked an eyebrow… had he any.

"You're quite clever, for a modern boy… tell me, Yugi…" Yugi's frown increased when he heard his own voice being said by Set. It sounded so chilling… and he did not like it. "… Do you love me?"

Yugi nudged his gun slightly, gesturing to it. "In a word… no. Generally, if you capture my best friend, it means I hate you. So… I'm sorry, but things won't work out between us. Sorry if you were hoping we could be friends. But the answer is no."

It was a dangerous game, Yugi knew, to mock an Ancient Egyptian God… but it had to be said. He didn't want the same to happen to him… Ryou still looked shaky, beneath his now happy, loved exterior. And, as Yugi was convinced that Yami did not love him… the results from Set being a malicious, sadistic bastard would not be pleasant.

Set's cold, harsh eyes seemed to pierce through Yugi's soul. "Ignorant mortal," He hissed, "You should be bowing at my feet, or begging for mercy!"

Yugi rolled his eyes, deciding against answering back. He didn't want to make this battle even more dangerous than what it was going to. In fact, he was barely listening to the God speak, which was also, seemingly, an offence. However, as Yugi had completely switched off to Set's voice, he didn't hear the various threats that were hurled his way.

"Hmmm…" Yugi muttered, "So what was it you were saying about 'Diaha'?"

Set's eyes glistened, the darkness within them growing immensely.

"DIAHA!"

_**Seto and Jou**_

"Predicted flight time to Tokyo from America: ten hours. Actual time: seven hours and forty-five minutes," Seto muttered, unbuckling his seatbelt. "It still wasn't good enough," He barked at the pilot, who had just emerged from the cockpit.

"Hey! We had a deal!"

Seto gave him a wry look. "Yeah. And I changed my mind. See you." He said abruptly, rising and taking himself out into the warm air of where he called his home. Jou followed, throwing the captain a 'Don't trust him, he's my lover,' look.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Jou cried a few minutes later, as the two waited for their luggage. Jou was almost dancing on the spot, unable to keep still. He wanted to know what had happened to his friends… and if Yami and Yugi had complied with Seto's request.

"Sure. That will make the luggage come sooner," Seto muttered under his breath. Just from the corner of his eye, he noticed a large black suitcase, followed by a banana yellow one, both with KC printed in relief on them.

They seemed to take an age to get to the frantic couple, and, dragging them away, Kaiba opened his car door and got in the front seat. Jou hardly had time to put his belt on before they drove out of the airport car park, desperate to get back to Domino.

Seto wasn't one for disobeying the law, but did, on the odd occasion, jump through red traffic lights. And because he was one of the richest young men in the world, no one ever charged him. That was fortunate, as today was no excuse. He even crossed two lanes just to dodge an apparently 'Sunday Driver', which made Jou yelp when they almost collided.

The sound of car horns blared at them as they drove on.

_**Yami, Yugi, Bakura, Ryou and Set**_

Problem was, no one moved. Bakura sighed.

"Fine, I'll be the one to put you out of your misery," He growled, disappointed at everyone else's lack of courage. If Set wanted a one-on-one battle, then why didn't he say so?

"Just you and me, Bakura?" Set asked, husky voice shining with amusement. "Why won't any of your so-called friends help you out? Is that really what friendship is? Well, I'm truly glad that I never had any when I was alive…"

It was then that Bakura realised something. "Bollucks," He muttered. "The word resurrection brought a spark of recognition to mind…" He paused, almost laughing at his own cheesy rhyme, "… You aren't in your solid form." Bakura observed, grinning to himself insanely. Here he was, facing off against Set (again), and smirking like an idiot knowing he was about to die. This would not be an easy battle.

"Okay, frozen Mutou's? I'll definitely need your help with this. Ryou… you keep near me." Bakura ordered quickly, noting that Yami was still wide-eyed and quite silent.

"Use whatever help you feel, but it won't help you." Set cackled, his insane laugh causing the hairs on the back of Bakura's neck to rise slightly. "You will all die!"

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Like we haven't heard that one before, jerk," He muttered, before producing his knife and throwing it through the air. It connected with Set's gut, with a sickening squelch.

Set stared down at the protruding handle, and then at Yugi.

"Ow!" He exclaimed, as if the move had been foul play. Bakura tried very hard to conceal his laughter… But in the end, failed.

"Oh, I'm sorry… But you did declare the Duel had begun, and I'm not sure what that means to you, but it generally translates that we should begin killing you." Bakura explained, then shivered as he felt a light finger tracing his left side. He knew that kind of gentle touch to be Ryou's, and for a moment wondered vaguely why it hurt.

"Who… what did this to you, Kura?" He asked curiously, as if the Duel meant nothing to him. Which, in all reality, it didn't.

Yami growled behind them. "Save it!" He screamed, darting in front of the distracted Bakura to use his gun as a shield, deflecting the sword Set had hurled at them. He let it fall to the floor, refusing to touch anything with Set's decaying insides on them. The Tomb Robber gasped, falling back into his normal killing stance.

"You're gonna pay for that…" He snarled quietly, in Egyptian, "I don't know why you're so fucking corrupt… but I think it has something to do with the Millennium Items we hold."

Ryou and Yugi raised eyebrows at this, but shrugged when they heard the all-too-familiar Egyptian word for Millennium Items. At Battle City it had become a daily word to use, and they had taken great joy in scaring their yami's using it.

Set's browning teeth revealed themselves, half of the bandages peeling away.

"Correct… I see that you have a brain after all, Bakura…"

Bakura shrugged. "Just because I have a brain doesn't mean I have to use it. But every super-villain has wanted the Items, for one reason or another. It's becoming too obvious… and all-too easy to defend them."

Set begged to differ at that. "Ahh, but you are forgetting… If the yami is killed, the hikari will live on. But if the hikari dies, the yami dies with him. I was going to kill my prisoner--" He shot a very evil, oddly hungry look at Ryou as he said this, "—Had my plans not been ruined. I was not planning on having you all find me… and for that, you shall die."

He created a whirling spirit of energy behind him, a cloud of blood-red air that seemed to form a human. Who it was they couldn't tell, but Bakura immediately knew he would end up having to summon something to banish it. The Millennium Puzzle was already emitting a lot of energy, and Bakura could predict what Monster would emerge from the Pyramid-shaped Item.

"Okay… Ryou, Yugi, I promise that we won't let a…" Bakura paused when he realised what he was saying… in his own language. He smiled and repeated himself, carrying on, "… Let anything hurt you, just stay back, okay? And… a spike scraped my side," He added, just for Ryou's benefit. Bakura hadn't even noticed that blood was dripping from it, so he turned and ripped Yami's shirt off of him and used it as a makeshift bandage. "And that's for the shirt you owe me," He said to Yami, the Game King scowling. He'd liked that shirt.

Bakura turned back to face the red spirit behind Set… and was somewhat startled to see it staring right at him. Instead of asking why it was doing that, Bakura sighed. He'd caused all of this… who would have thought that even five thousand years after an untimely retirement, Tomb Robbing could come back to haunt you?

"Well, I can see that we will get nowhere with that kind of talk," Set declared woodenly, as if bored, "So I think I will make the… well, best move so far."

Bakura and Yami tensed, ready to fight… but then the red being took more of a humanly form. The red was actually a long, trailing cape, with broad arms at the bottom. It didn't cover up the thing's face, but there was nothing but an empty space there – a black shadow, obscuring everything that should have been there. Bakura doubted he would have wanted to see his face anyway… he'd been scared enough the first time. The being didn't have hands, either, but he knew that those weren't needed… not for the kind of damage that it could do to you.

Then, with chains curling around its arms, the being began to move towards the group. Yami stood, transfixed… until Bakura brought him down to the ground.

"You idiot!" He hissed, again falling back into their own language. "That thing can only kill us on contact if we let him!"

Yami sat up, disbelieving. Bakura shrugged arrogantly.

"Fine. Just don't expect me to say I told you so at your funeral, Pharaoh," He growled, keeping Ryou and Yugi to the ground.

Yami gave him a quizzical look… and immediately understood what Bakura had meant.

The reason why the spirit did not need hands to kill… was because as soon as he had walked through Yami, he felt his energy draining away… and quickly. Head spinning, he fell to the ground, groaning as he heard the words 'I told you so,' from Bakura.

"Shit," Yami cursed, as he flattened his entire body up against the ground, "Hikari, don't sit up. Ryou… well, I guess you know already."

"Bakura, how the fuck are we supposed to kill that thing?" Yugi asked on a hiss, only so snappy because he was fearing for his life. Bakura shot him an optimistic look.

"It can be done," Was all that he said, before standing and racing around the ruins of the stone tablet. He darted past the advancing ghost, trying his best to ignore Ryou's scream. Using his Millennium Ring, he aimed a blast at the walls. They shook and burst open, and Bakura ran through the gap. With the spirit and Set following him closely, Ryou was immediately up and running after the love of his life.

With a short nod exchanged, Yami and Yugi did the same. They raced past various tombs… until they saw Ryou, standing in front of a vast pit. They could see nothing of the bottom… Yugi glanced at his friend's face, seeing it was really pale… he was going to faint.

Dragging his friend away, Yugi whispered comforting words into his ear, whilst Yami worked out a way of getting across. The Eye of Horus gleamed on his forehead, and then he grinned.

"Bakura probably jumped this in his hurry, but we can walk across." He declared, walking to the edge, and taking another step forwards. Yugi was just about ready to run and save him… but Yami had not fallen. The Pharaoh offered his hand to the scared hikari's. "Come on. We'll never find Bakura at this rate."

Ryou took a hesitant step onto what seemed to be an invisible platform… and after that, he was racing off again, with his two friends in hot pursuit.

_**Bakura**_

'If this doesn't work, Ryou will be having your cock for all the wrong reasons,' Bakura thought to himself, panicking slightly as he darted past slightly dormant mummies, speeding through trapped chambers. For the main part, however, he went about untroubled, racing through what seemed to be endless amounts of chambers.

'And it's like those bloody ancient cartoons! They just keep running past the same thing, over and over: clock, door, flowerpot, clock, door, flowerpot, clock, door…' Bakura amused himself for a moment, shaking his head at his own antics… and almost missed his turn.

"FUCK!" He exclaimed, skidding to a halt before hurtling down another corridor. His left arm seemed to be stinging, but he didn't check to see why.

He could hear wind rushing past his ears, but knew that some of it would be from the bloody ghost… and also from St, but he was more concerned about the spirit.

How was it that he managed to kill the Brother Semerkhet before? Every memory from Egypt was either patchy or logically wrong anyway, but this was really bugging him.

He couldn't remember getting any scars from the ghost: that was for sure. This was because the spirit of Semerkhet was… well, a cursed ghost. The reason why he was Set's ally was simple: he had the ability to kill upon prolonged contact. After more than a second, Bakura knew, you would be dead.

All that he could recall was a sword. It wasn't one of his own… which was unusual. Bakura remembered something about a room with a lot of levels, a bridge, and some stone pillars. He was trying to get up as high as possible, so that he could either escape and therefore get Ryou out of danger (the others didn't matter as much anymore), or to get back to that room. Whichever way it went, Bakura was gonna get hurt.

Well… pain was a part of his Job Description.

_**Jou and Seto**_

"The rush hour. The fucking rush hour." Seto cried, furious. His fingers were drumming on the steering wheel impatiently, and honked his horn for the fifth time in the past ten minutes. He wasn't the only one, but it was giving Jou a headache.

"At this rate, we'll never get to 'em in time, Seto! I know what Yug's like… he's gonna go down dere soon, and I'm bettin it ain't pretty for the poor guy…"

It took Seto a moment to actually translate what Jou had just said due to his impatience.

"Well if he has, he's an idiot," Seto said, once he'd understood his love, "But if Yami's gone down there too… Well, I can only hope that they had sense and took food down with them… and a gun… because down there, who knows what's going on."

Jou nodded absently. "Mmmm… I'm kinda hopin that Yug has more sense, but da Pharaoh… well, I'm kinda wary about him."

Seto moved the car forwards very slightly before replying. "So… you doubt him, too?"

Jou shrugged, leaning his head out of the window. Rain splashed onto his forehead and golden locks, calming his nausea some. "Sometimes. But he's always pulled through. So, ya know… maybe they're okay."

Seto shook his head, moving again as the traffic slowly thinned. "Well…. Let's just see if they're actually at the cabin first, Jou… THEN we can jump to conclusions about their magic shit…"

Even though Jou was sick at that very moment, his dinner cascading from his mouth down onto the slippery concrete, he smiled. Even in a big crisis, Seto was still his usual, stand-offish self.

And he loved it.

_**Bakura**_

Bakura slammed through what he somehow knew would be a concealed door, hearing the chains of Brother Semerkhet gradually getting louder. Bakura released an insane laugh – if only he had the guts to be what he used to be, then he would be able to release Diabound, his ancient but loyal creature of darkness. That way, he would be able to cover a much greater amount of land in a shorter space of time… and wouldn't have to worry about being caught up by a ghostly being who could kill on contact.

Oh well. If this didn't work out, then there was always the next life.

Bakura almost didn't make it across a vast pit – but managed to grab the other side and pull himself up, taking only a very small pause before racing off again, determined to find out how he would go about killing Set and Brother Semerkhet.

And then, Bakura's heart stopped. He stopped running, his mind lost about the chase.

He was in a vast room… but it hadn't been the one he was searching for. Enormous stone slabs were mounted up against the walls; some even engraved onto the floor Bakura stood on. They were all Monsters from the Ancient Shadow Games he had once played… and the details on the slabs were amazing. A Harpy Lady that the Thief had once won had every single one of her feathers carved into the stone slab, her body as curvy and as realistic as an actual Harpy Lady.

"Wow," Bakura breathed, unable to speak coherently. This room as just so amazing… he silently thanked the Gods that he had lived in the Egyptian Times, and not some other boring, lame location that would have given him some shit job to do, such as being in an Army.

Still, had that time been that of the Romans, at least he would be able to laugh at Yami for wearing plants in his hair.

Before he could think of anything else, however, Brother Semerkhet – as well as Set himself – entered through one of the slabs. Bakura braced himself, awe fading immediately.

"Well, well, well… you've managed to find this room from your own accord this time, I see…" Set purred, tone low and deadly. "At least that's one surprise I didn't anticipate. But looking around me… and at the ceiling, too… I can see that you stole many people's lives during your time of survival. What would little Ryou have to say if he saw this room?"

Bakura didn't even consider freezing, but instead fell into a lying down position as Brother Semerkhet floated past, red cloak flapping around him.

"Well, he wouldn't be impressed, but I'm sure he knows that I've changed for the better now."

"If you had changed for the better, you wouldn't have lasted it this far in my Tombs this time around," Set bellowed, his laughter shaking the slabs resting against the wall. Bakura gritted his teeth, and stood when Semerkhet was as far away from him as possible. He had spotted Diabound, and was willing to race over there.

"STOP HIM!" Set cried out, in Egyptian. Mummies and Duel Monsters alike seemed to emerge from slabs, the floor and walls, blocking Bakura from his path. And, swiftly moving through this crowd was Brother Semerkhet.

Before he would _ever_ allow himself to get caught by one of Set's demons, Bakura moved quickly. From within his bag, he brought out his old rope with an iron hook on the end of it… and slung it at the nearest slab that he could reach. He yanked on it, in an odd, calm way, and it soon fell with a deafening crack, creating a vast hole in the floor.

Bakura then pulled his rope back, aiming and repeating the action on several other stone slabs, almost grimacing for all of the prizes he had never been able to claim. More mummies and Monsters of evil fell down into the vast pits, but Bakura paused.

He couldn't hear any crashes below of them falling to the ground beneath them. Surely they would have hit something?

Bakura dodged past Brother Semerkhet, past Set's clutches, and headed towards the other end of the room, where there was a door. He reached it, lunging his arm out to wrench the massive thing open… and was immediately thankful that he hadn't just ran blindly into the room, if it could be called that.

It contained spikes pointing directly at the entrance, scarab beetles on the floor and what appeared to be a very poisonous, very pissed off snake. Bakura slammed the door shut, and made to race back to the other way out of the room… it was only what seemed to be miles away, not that far… but then! Something happened.

The floor had been weakened by Bakura's previous attempts to kill – or, at least maim – his enemies. With a loud gasp, Bakura felt the floor beneath him breaking, and ran for all that he was worth. However, as soon as he got three meters from the trapped room, the floor fell from beneath his feet.

With a loud cry, Bakura managed to grab onto the ledge above, his fingers curling around on the square slabs above. His second hand pushed itself upwards to meet with the other, grabbing the broken floor for all he was worth.

Bakura was about to pull himself up, when something very doomed, very obvious happened.

Brother Semerkhet's ghostly red cape came fluttering into Bakura's view, as well as Set's disfigured, half-bandaged face. Set gave him a very ugly grin.

"Well, Bakura? What will you choose to do? Will you risk letting Semerkhet here kill you when you pull up onto the ledge… or will you plunge yourself to your own death, knowing what it will do to poor little Ryou?" He asked, daring to tread on Bakura's fingers. Bakura released a quiet groan, but didn't relax his grip any. If his fingers broke, then they broke. But he was not about to let himself fall into somewhere so deadly, so unfamiliar that it would kill him. His wide, chocolate brown eyes stared up in horror at the cackling, insane God, desperately trying to think of a way out of this.

"What will it be, Bakura? Allow Brother Semerkhet to kill you… Or kill yourself by falling into that Tomb down there?" Set repeated, voice alive with vindictive glee, "Either way, you _will _die!"

'Oh, shit,' Bakura thought desperately, feeling his fingers slip slightly as Set's foot lifted from the aching digits.

'What the fuck… will I do?'

_**Seto and Jou**_

They had finally managed to escape the bustling traffic that occurred on a daily basis, and were now speeding down a vast motorway. Seto was really giving his car some hell, pounding on the horn whenever he got stuck behind a driver going less than seventy miles per hour. It was all Jou could do to grab onto his seatbelt nervously.

But by God, whenever he tried to talk to Seto, all he got was a moment's worth of glare: a silent command for him to shut up. Conclusively, Jou was bored. He had played on the games on his phone, Seto's phone, and even the games on his lover's laptop. Jou also went on the Internet, but found nothing on there of great interest. He couldn't listen to music, because Seto told him that it distracted him whilst he drove, he couldn't play on a game with sound… Man.

So instead, Jou turned his attention to watching illuminated Service Stations zoom past, passing cars and trees, shown by the light of street lamps. All in all, it was a pretty shitty trip. But as he stared at the passing objects, he couldn't help but wonder what Yugi was doing… and, more importantly, where he was.

If he had dared to travel into one of the caves… then who knew where he would have gone? Those archaeologists had been totally professional, armed with a great amount of equipment to help them if they ever needed to bail out. And when they were reported missing for more than two weeks…

Why the _fuck _had the government not even thought of blocking off the beach? Who _cares _if the place loses tourists? Doesn't a bunch of human lives mean more than just a few million yen!

"Puppy."

Jou jumped slightly, turning to face his lover. His icy blue eyes were still fixed on the road, but when the blonde swirled around, he carried on.

"Try calling the Cabin. If you get the answer phone, then try one of their mobiles. Use my cell if you need to," He added, knowing that his beloved rarely ever had money on his phone to call out.

Jou typed in the numbers on Seto's phone, and pressed 'call.' He was doing as Seto said – calling the cabin first, then trying one of their cells before panicking.

"Come on, come on… pick up…" Jou muttered. After a few rings, the answer phone came on.

"Yug! You there, buddy? Yug, pick up, please, it's an emergency! Yami? C'mon, jus' pick up, man!" Jou cried, in despair. He reluctantly hung up, and tried ringing Yugi's cell.

Again, he got the Voice Mail message.

"YUG! C'MON, PAL, PLEASE TELL ME YOU HAVEN'T GONE INTO THOSE CAVES!" Jou screamed desperately, causing Seto to swerve dangerously across three lanes in surprise.

More car horns blared at them as they drove on.

_**Yugi, Yami and Ryou**_

"Ryou, we don't know where they're going, this is stupid, we should turn back already…"

"No! I'm not going to let Semerkhet and Set kill the love of my life!"

"But we're just going around in circles!" Yugi argued, panting as a stitch in his side hindered his speed somewhat. "Come on, Ryou, let's turn back."

"I SAID NO! LOOK, YOU GIES TURN BACK, BUT I'M NOT ABOUT TO LET BAKURA JUST DIE!"

Yugi sighed, knowing he would never get his point across. Ryou was clearly panicking, but there was little else he could do. He would be going insane if Yami's life was endangered in the way that Bakura's probably was being at the moment.

Ryou turned a corner then, following the small amount of rubble spread on the floor. He felt something swipe at him from the side, but just gritted his teeth and ran on, dismissing his friends' pleas as foolishness. They would understand one day, he reasoned – or more like, promised – himself, they would understand when they finally got together.

Trying not to feel bad about screaming at his friends like that, Ryou sped on. Deep down, he knew that this was a bad idea… But a thought that came sweeping across from Bakura's side of the link chilled his blood.

_((Holy shit… Should I bother risking it with Semerkhet… BOLLUCKS! I… I'm gonna fall if I don't act soon…))_

Ryou's eyes widened, and he wiped blood away from his side as it freely bled. He skidded past room after endless room, following the trail of destruction that he was certain would lead to Bakura… eventually.

And then, the rubble ended. With a heavily beating heart, Ryou proudly knew that he had found the place, smugly grinning to the panting friends behind him.

Ryou placed a hand on the wall to support himself, seeing that the floor seemed cracked and unstable… and saw Set and Semerkhet, both glaring mercilessly down a…

"BAKURA!"

Before Yugi could stop his friend, Ryou launched towards the two evil shadows, producing his weapons from out of nowhere.

"Where is he!"

Set gestured to the hole cruelly, applying more pressure on Bakura's cracking, slipping fingers. "See for yourself."

Ryou stared down at the flushed, panicked face of his yami, and didn't know how he managed to keep in his scream of terror. That hole… seemed so fucking big… If Bakura fell, then he would almost definitely die.

"Kura?"

Bakura gave his hikari his usual loveable grin.

"I love you."

And with that, he wrenched his fingers from underneath Set's foot, flinging his arms back as he began to fall.

At least when he died, he would be happy that Ryou loved him in return.

Yami's koi: In a perfect world, I would never write something so teasing to you readers.

Nefertiri: In a perfect world, your readers would still be here.

Yami's koi: yeah, um… about that wait… Well, I'm sorry. But I didn't want to write a load of crap and think it was great, and then release it, like, three days after I published the last chap… ehe? Reasonable?

Nefertiri: well, considering what you've been writing recently…

Yami's koi: don't answer me, Teary. Anyway, I owe my thanks to several bands for the ideas for this chapter… But most of all, the commiseration's must go to myself. **(Grins.) **Lol, joke. Please review me, and let me know how I can improve! It shall all contribute to making the next few chapters even better! Um, okay… I know you ain't listening… Never mind. I just hope you enjoyed this chapter enough to review me! Until I next write, Luvvies! Ja ne!


	13. You make my heart beat faster, baby

Yami's koi: Gies… I am so sorry for the five-month wait for this. I doubt that many of you will still have interest in this fic, and I can't blame you. I am so sorry, but there's been a lot of turbulence the past few months. I sold my old computer, had my Mom buy me a new one, lost the previous chapters for everything, and then had to buy the Internet services back. And then at New Year I told my Mom I was bi. She thinks I'm just saying I am to impress this gie I fancy, just to follow the crowd. Now please, tell me if you would be able to write after being so emotionally fragile at what's supposed to be a prosperous time of year?

On a different note, here's the update.

"NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ryou screamed, lunging himself forwards, tears forming in his eyes. His world felt as if it was falling apart, the walls of emotion and everything that had ever meant anything to him crushing and burying him for all eternity.

"BAAKUUUUURRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Set smirked. "Lucky for him, really. I would have crushed his body like a pathetic, weak little bug. His wrath now is as weak as the wind to me... for his afterlife body will never materialise. Not after the crimes he could never repent. Not after being the Thieving little bastard that he was."

Brother Semerkhet's chains clanked, supposedly in approval – Ryou had little care for what it meant. Set's foul, cruel laugh echoed in Ryou's eyes, and he covered the sensitive organs up, screaming his disbelief.

"BAKURA! NO, PLEASE, I LOVE YOU!" Ryou yelled, to the stone tablets around him, "NOOOOOOOO! Please… just come back…" He whimpered, breaking down completely. His legs gave way beneath him, knees coming into sharp contact with the stone, though he felt no pain. Everything to Ryou was now entirely numb. His heart, his brain… Nothing felt real to him. He lifted his trembling hands up in front of him, examining them as if he had never noticed they had existed before.

Bakura was dead. As much as Ryou wanted to believe it, there was no way he could survive a fall as great as that. And after they had just confessed their love to each other… it was so unfair. It shouldn't have happened to them. The tears fell down across Ryou's perfect, sobbing face, but he could hardly feel them, either.

If he died now, he would be happy. At least this way, he would be with the one he loved. In fact, would it really be such a bad idea if he threw himself down into the pit, after Bakura? Surely that would bring about some happiness? Without thinking, Ryou rose to his feet, face still scrunched up in absolute agony. This loneliness was killing him… no wonder Yugi always looked sad, knowing that there was nothing that could be done to make Yami love him. But their love would last – at least, if they survived Set's ever-consuming fury.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE, RYOU!" Yugi shouted, gripping onto Ryou's arms, predicting what Ryou was about to do. "RYOU, HE'S GONE, HE'S NEVER COMING BACK--"

"I CAN FOLLOW HIM!" Ryou screamed back, his pain so evident through his tormented voice, "I TRIED TO TELL HIM, I REALLY TRIED… But it just wasn't… good enough…" Ryou collapsed at Yugi's feet, gripping his legs weakly.

"I… I… I wanna die… I wanna be with him…"

Yugi's eyes pricked with tears almost automatically at his friend's sorrow, and he let them fall. Bakura was an amazing friend to everyone, despite his old tendencies to 'bully' Yami every so often into a Duel. And now that he was gone… He didn't know what to do. He crouched down next to Ryou, taking the snowy-haired hikari into his arms. Yugi's fingers stroked through the silvery locks, gripping his shoulders tightly as he released his own quiet moan of grief.

"Oh God… Ryou… I'm so… s-sorry…" Yugi sobbed, eyes scrunching up in pain. "I… He still loves you…. Ryou…"

Ryou shook his head, snapping himself back from Yugi's touch. His eyes were oddly bright from the tears they had shed, his cheeks strangely drained in the dim but sufficient light. Ryou's face broke into a wide, almost insane smile. He released a very small, very fake laugh.

"He's still alive."

_**Jou and Seto**_

Seto rocketed around the corner, urging his car to go faster, even though he needed to brake. They were less than three blocks from the cabin, and the man forced himself to calm down. He needed to keep a level head… But Jou's sudden outburst of tears several minutes ago hadn't helped him any. His fingers shook on the steering wheel as he slowed his car down, screeching to a halt in front of the now foreboding, ugly looking cabin. Seto launched himself from his seat, urging his partner on.

The brunette hurled down the path, fumbling with his keys at the door a few moments later. He could find every fucking key, except for the one to open the cabin. Seto knew that it was there, but just couldn't see it… Damn it, when did he get so many keys!

After a few more seconds of frantic searching, Seto's breathing calmed, and he kicked open the door… Just as he noticed the key attached to his many novelty key rings. Oh well. He would just have to make a mental note to himself: charge the cost of repairing the door on Bakura's tab.

"YUGI! YAMI! WHERE THE _FUCK _ARE YOU TWO!" Seto yelled, searching the living room for one quick moment before hurling himself up the stairs. "PHARAOH!"

Jou screeched to a halt in the kitchen, searching for any signs of life. The windows were open, so the curtains flapped slightly in the gentle breeze… but other than that, no evident flashes of movement. He was just a little calmer than his boyfriend on the outside, but on the inside, he was just a scared little boy again. He was shivering beneath a blanket of both guilt and worry, these things both clouding his thoughts and haunting his dreams. Jou tried not to allow his vivid imagination to give him any mental images of what possibly could be happening to his friends right now, and searched the other rooms in a vain attempt to fill himself with hope.

Seto vaulted over the stairs, with no regard for his own safety. Promptly he smashed his head against the wall, falling awkwardly on his left arm.

Jou heard the crash, and loud moan, and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He raced to the bottom of the stairs, where he saw his lover, spread-eagled, with blood seeping from the side of his head, one arm twisted oddly beneath his body. Jou gasped, backing away.

Whatever madness that was here… had better not captivate him in the same way it had Seto. But whatever happened, Jou could only do one thing now – tend to his lover's wounds… and fast.

Would there be enough time to call 911?

No. There wouldn't… they always dragged out the process of healing… or at least the time it took for someone to reach the injured person. Jou would just have to stumble on with his faulty memory of first aid… and already, thought everything in his body was ordering him to remain calm… he was absolutely terrified.

_**Ryou, Yugi and Yami**_

Yami gasped at Ryou's words, simply staring as the pale boy rose to his feet shakily.

"Ryou… I understand that you are upset… devastated… but Bakura's gone…"

Ryou shook his head, covering his mouth with both of his hands. He was shaking anymore – his tears weren't even falling.

"No… you're wrong. I can feel him. He's here. He's alive. I know it." Ryou insisted quietly, eyes shining with happiness and belief. "Ha! Bakura isn't dead at all. That wasn't a vast pit… I'm not fooled anymore. It's all clear now."

"Ryou…" Yugi whispered, eyes imploring deeply into the chestnut ones of Ryou. "You're upset, I know… But please, don't do this to yourself." His eyes widened when he realised that Ryou was standing at the very edge of the cavern from where Bakura fell from, staring down into the void with eyes of wonder. One of his feet rose from where it was planted, now hovering above the empty blackness below.

"Do it, little Ryou… follow your bastard yami in death… Who knows, you may even go to the same place. Or not." Set sneered, daring Ryou to jump. Ryou froze for a moment, and began to sway horribly.

Yugi ran forward and gripped Ryou's sleeve – heights had always been an issue for the very fragile looking hikari.

"Ryou… Don't do it. There's nothing down there… He's gone, Ryou. Bakura is dead."

Ryou laughed quietly. "You're sadly mistaken, Yugi-chan. He's alive. He wouldn't leave me so unprotected like this… Trust me. This is what I want." He whispered, taking an impossibly deep breath before spinning on the foot still on the ground, and using his other to kick Yugi in the stomach. The impact sent Yugi staggering a few paces back, clutching his stomach in agony, gasping for breath.

Ryou's eyes softened at the sight of his friend in pain – he should have known that using such force on a tender area would cause great agony, especially to someone like Yugi. He felt sorry for his friend but, at the same time… Yugi should have respected his wishes, and realised that Ryou was right.

"Please… please, forgive me." Ryou whispered, before just allowing himself to fall backwards, into the unknown. Too late, Yami rushed forwards, racing to grab Ryou's arm, or his pants, or anything…

… But his fist clenched solely on thin air.

_**Jou and Seto: the cabin**_

Jou took a deep breath, and turned his lover over so that he lay on his back. At least now he could see the full damage inflicted upon his lover.

Seto's arm was still bent, and the wrong way at that. Jou swallowed, hard, immediately identifying it as a broken arm. That he wasn't sure how to deal with… Oh, why did he have to skip so many lessons of school! Why!

'Deep breaths, Katsuya…' Jou told himself, trying to steady his breathing. As he had thought to himself before, panicking would do nothing to help Seto's current state, so it was, therefore, something to avoid doing.

After a few more of these moments, Jou gave the Kaiba's body another look over. His legs and other arm seemed to be in perfect working order – he might have sustained a few bruises, but the boy knew very well that Seto could deal with a few minor injuries. As for the broken arm, however… well, Jou would deal with that after he had stopped the bleeding.

Jou raced into the kitchen, skidding to a halt in front of the sink. Getting down on his knees, he rummaged through the now oddly disorganised cupboard, searching for the first aid kit.

"C'mon… green box, green box…" Jou mumbled to himself, eyes growing wide as he began to throw various boxes, bags and cleaning agents across the room. He caught a flash of a green box, and his heart leapt. "All right! No we're getting somewhere!" He cried out, accent strangely huskier than usual. It was probably the immense burden Jou was now carrying taking its toll on his body.

Jou ran back to Seto's body – he hadn't moved an inch. Maybe that was a good thing… or not. In any case, however, it meant that Jou could clean the wound without having to worry too much about having a snarling, impatient CEO on his back, telling him how badly he was doing this, or how unimportant seeing to his wounds was…

Jou opened the large box, finding some syringes, safety pins, plasters, sterile water, painkillers… every fucking thing that he wasn't looking for… In his frenzied state, Jou began throwing these items out as well… Until he finally managed to find some cleaning wipes and bandages. Everything that he had actually learned (or, rather, copied off of Yugi in the end of module exams) seemed to be all a blur… After all, Jou had never been able to see himself in a situation such as this one.

But then… If only he knew what a predicament Yugi and Yami were in, right at that very same moment… Then he would keep his place in earnest. On the one hand, he would be inclined to help his friends in their hour of desperate need. On the other, larger hand, Jou would be more inclined to stay at Seto's side if he only knew what they needed help for. As far as they knew, Ryou and Bakura were dead together, and they might as well be too, for what it was worth.

_**Yugi, Yami, Set and Brother Semerkhet**_

It was useless to call Ryou's name, Yugi knew. But he did so all the same, experiencing what he could only imagine to be a fraction of what Ryou had felt when he witnessed his beloved Bakura fall into the black abyss. Now dangerously close to the edge of the jagged, broken stone, Yugi contemplated throwing himself down there with them. His lavender eyes glared down into the darkness, and it wasn't until he heard the quiet, sarcastic laughter of Set did he move and hurl himself at Yami, who stood there, dumbfounded.

"He's gone… Yami, he's gone, and I didn't do anything to save him… If only I was quick enough…"

Yami resisted the urge to slap his hikari. "Iie, Yugi, you cannot blame yourself."

Again, Set's cackle resounded within the chamber, its pitch piercing through Yugi's body and soul. The hairs on the back of his neck rose once again, the eerie sound scaring him ever so slightly. He cuddled up against Yami closer. He was going to die… At least it was in the arms of the person whom he loved.

Yami trembled in Yugi's arms, sensing what his counterpart was thinking. He edged closer to the massive cavern of darkness below them, blinking down into it over Yugi's shoulder.

"Yugi…" He whispered, smiling softly as he pulled back to gaze into the boy's eyes. Yugi whimpered when Yam placed his lips onto his own, the chaste kiss awakening his senses. The wet, warm feeling made Yugi sigh, and he was truly happy for just that one moment.

That was when Yami pressed forwards on his body, pushing them both over the edge.

_**Jou and Seto: The Cabin**_

Jou dabbed at the wound on Seto's head frantically, causing the CEO, even in his unconscious state, to moan in pain. A few stray tears passed down the blonde's cheeks, mixing in with the cleaning solution slightly. Then he patted on a clean cloth to clean away any excess dirt to avoid infection… But fuck, Jou had little or no idea what to do for the best once this was done.

He could always leave Seto once he'd been cleaned up to look for Yugi and the others… But what if something happened to him whilst Jou was gone? What if he awakened and hurt himself again? What if somebody came in and killed him? What if Seto fell into a coma? What if Seto died? What if…

No. Leaving Seto was out of the question. But what could he do to help his friends? He felt so useless, and such a good-for-nothing person. His tears spilt again, but this time for another reason. Jou sobbed loudly, wrapping a bandage around Seto's head tenderly, staring up at the sky in both horror and fear for his friends.

He could always take Seto with him whilst he looked for the Mutou's and the Bakura's… But wouldn't Seto only slow him down, and get in the way? Wouldn't taking Seto with him only endanger him further, leaving him even more vulnerable to attacks and such forth than before? Wouldn't just staying here with Seto, ensuring that he was all right… Be the best course of action after all?

A few more tears leaked from Jou's eyes, but again, these were from yet another emotion. These were born from feelings of frustration and worthlessness. He couldn't save his friends and the best thing he could do would be to call an ambulance for…

Wait. Call an ambulance. Before he had scorned doing this, knowing that they delay processes and often neglect patients… But if he truly wanted to help his friends, wouldn't he just wait until the emergency services arrived and then shoot off? Could he really… Do that to Seto? He turned to look at the quiet, passive face of the usually aggressive, but secretly passionate and loving CEO. Jou smiled softly, running his fingers through the chestnut locks, sighing.

"What do I do…" Jou asked aloud, absent-mindedly glaring at the phone on the nearby wall. With a sigh of admitted defeat and yet also of defeat, he reached over and dialled 911. The ringing tone filled Jou's ears.

"Hello, emergency services, which service do you require?" A calm women's voice asked.

"Ambulance." Jou said frantically, peering out of the window to see if his friends were there. Of course, they weren't.

"Please state the reason for requiring this service," The women said smoothly, typing on a computer loudly.

"My boyfriend… He's fell down the stairs and hit his head… He's bleeding and won't wake up… I've cleaned the wound but he hasn't moved or anything!" Jou responded hastily, wishing the women would just hurry the fuck up.

"Please hold."

_**Yugi and Yami**_

Yugi gasped as he felt himself fall into nothingness. Wordlessly he tried to make eye contact with Yami, but he had buried his face in Yugi's jacket, either afraid or to protect himself against the build-up of speed around them. The diminutive boy felt himself fall through the darkness, speed gradually increasing as they fell further, further and further into nothingness. Yugi opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

'_Don't be afraid,' _Yami reassured him calmly through their mind link, still not looking at his alter ego. _'We won't fall for much longer.'_

Hardly seeing this as comfort, Yugi whimpered and held onto Yami tighter. He was so afraid… He had never wanted to die without being…

And then, all of a sudden, they had stopped falling. Yet there was something strange about this. They had not made contact with anything. Glancing around, Yugi saw that they had not even stopped. They had slowed down, as if being gently put back down onto the ground, like a father would to his child.

Yami released his hold on Yugi reluctantly as the ground approached. Half-expecting to see two dead bodies lying side-by-side, Yugi closed his eyes, jumping when his feet met with the wonderfully solid floor once again. His eyes reopened, and met with a beautifully bright scene.

Golden objects surrounded himself and his yami. Endless, endless streams of it pooled at their feet, hung off the walls, was embedded in the tiny cracks in the floor… Hell, it was practically a chamber for the riches of the doomed, hated God Set. Statues of Set loomed in the distance; most of them with golden swords cleaved through them to prove his brother had defeated him. Golden coins, golden pieces of jewellery, golden death masks, golden sarcophaguses, golden torch brackets… Everything from Yami's time had been made into gold and placed in this tomb, just for him being a dickhead.

Yugi turned around, seeing yet even more of the substance blinding him. Blinking to adjust his eyes to the sudden brightness, he believed that he heard something metallic clink against something… Something that had definitely been made from the same thing, so it definitely wasn't Brother Semerkhet coming to kill them… It was something different… Remembering his weapons, Yugi produced his gun and pointed it at the source of noise.

When nothing appeared however, and Yugi began to feel as if his arm was going to fall off (his arms were not adapted to this sort of thing), he lowered the weapon slightly, and began to edge his way around yet another golden statue of Semerkhet quietly, trying to see what all of the noise was about…

… When a bullet scarcely missed his head, impaling itself in the bare chest of the golden, elaborate statue of Set.

Yugi screamed.

_**Jou, in the cabin**_

Jou drummed his fingers impatiently against the arm of the chair, glaring at the clock. In reality, it had been nothing short of ten minutes since he had called the emergency services, but to him, it could have been well over an hour.

"FOR FUCK SAKE!" He screamed at last, tearing at the sofa's cover, ripping the material in one fluent movement. "HOW LONG IS THIS AMBULANCE GONNA FUCKIN' TAKE!"

His momentary rage over, Jou sighed, running his fingers through his messy hair. If only he had known that exactly where his lover was lying, Yugi and Yami had been about to share a kiss when Bakura came in, sobbing his heart out, then perhaps he would have removed Seto's body. Perhaps not. But only if he knew…

A car zoomed past. Immediately Jou was up and out of his seat, peering through the blinds, trying to see if it was an ambulance. Of course, he was proven wrong, and fell back into his seat, disappointed.

Now that he thought about it, going after Yugi, Yami, Ryou and Bakura didn't seem like too much of a bad idea after all. Seto would be in safe hands when with qualified doctors and nurses, despite their tendency to mock and berate people for attending to wounds when there was little else to be done. Scorning himself for even trying to save his beloved wouldn't help either, Jou thought with a small grin. Now that he had calmed down about the situation, and didn't fear for Seto's life anymore, he doubted he would die of a mere bang to the head. Sure, it had been a big fall, and he had been knocked out, but surely, would it be enough to kill him? Taking his eyes off the clock for one moment, Jou glanced down at Seto's body, moving only slightly when the CEO inhaled and exhaled. Of course Seto wouldn't die… he was too proud to die by falling down a mere flight of stairs.

Jou relaxed for a moment, previous anger and aggravation dissipated in the space of a few short moments. That was the beauty of Katsuya Jonouchi, however… He was so carefree, constantly changing and therefore, an unpredictable soul to many apart from his closest and dearest friends. For some, it could take weeks – perhaps even months – to fully understand Jou. For others, it could only take a matter of days to understand what things make him annoyed, or angry, and how to avoid getting yourself into such a situation with him.

To Shizuka, Jou's darling sister, she had not known quite what to expect, what with being separated from her brother so long ago, and having little contact with him. Yet when she had taken the bandages from around her eyes, and had saved his life, she had understood him in little less than a week. He wasn't complex, just… Different. But this took a lot of explaining for some people. Finally becoming aggravated, Shizuka allowed the subject to drop.

In the belief that he heard the distant sounds of an ambulance's sirens, Jou leapt from his seat once more, peering out through the windows. He glanced up each end of the long, winding road, steadily becoming impatient once again. Feeling another mini tantrum coming on, Jou took it out yet again on Seto's sofa.

"DAMN FUCKIN' AMBULANCES!" Jou screamed, pounding his fists into the sofa furiously, tearing out the stuffing with extreme uses of force. Soon, the entire living room was covered in bits of the yellow foam, and Jou paused, about to tear another chunk out from the couch. He raised a hand to his mouth… And began to laugh his sexy little ass off.

_**Yugi and Yami**_

After this initial reaction, Yugi whirled his body around, and glared in both shock and amusement at the sight of a half-naked Bakura pointing a gun at him, laughing to his heart's content. From behind him, Ryou emerged, blushing slightly and shaking his head.

"Really, was that necessary?"

Bakura shrugged. "About as necessary as this," He said quickly, before giving Ryou an intense kiss. Ryou closed his eyes, threading his fingers though the silvery locks of his yami. Yugi blushed at this sight… It was reminding him of what had occurred between him and the Pharaoh just before he pushed the down into this gold-filled chasm.

It seemed that Yami was thinking of things along the same lines. For he approached Yugi silently from behind, wrapping his arms around the young, small hikari's waist, smirking when Yugi squirmed in his arms. In a sudden, fleeting moment of dominance, Yugi entwined their hands together, allowing them to rest upon his stomach gently. Yami laughed softly in his ear, kissing the outer shell softly. Yugi released a soft sigh, smiling.

Finally releasing Ryou from the kiss, the King of Thieves glanced over at the Mutou's, a small smirk crowning his lips.

"So, I take it you two have finally decided to stop being so thick-headed and fuck each other?" He asked casually, much to Ryou's distaste. He tutted, and ran over to embrace Yugi happily.

"I'm so happy for you! You two have finally realised you're meant to be! Go Yugi!" The boy cried, smelling faintly like Bakura. Yugi blushed.

"Well, Yami hasn't asked me anything yet… He's only kissed me, so I don't really think we're going out." Yugi said shyly, blushing like hell.

Bakura eyed this scene happily, but his eyes narrowed when he heard what Yugi had to say for himself. He glared at the Pharaoh darkly.

"You can be a real prick, you know that Pharaoh?" Bakura said with a sigh, taking Ryou back into his arms thoughtfully. "If you don't ask him, I'll do it for you. And I'll probably twist things around a bit, too." He added as an afterthought, grinning evilly.

Yami flushed very faintly. "Well, I--"

"Yugi, if this bastard ever actually got around to asking you, would you go out with him?" Bakura asked loudly, over Yami's voice.

Now it was Yugi's turn to blush. "I… Well, I mean…" He stuttered, glancing over at the Pharaoh's curious, hopeful eyes. He sighed. "You fucking know I'd say yes."

Bakura grinned. "But…?"

"But he hasn't asked me yet."

"Hmmm… Well, this poses a dilemma!" Bakura mocked, using his super-sarcastic tone to aggravate the Egyptian. He placed his hands on his hips, taking a step away from Ryou to observe the two slightly confused, embarrassed boys before him.

"Pharaoh! You're usually quite quick on the uptake, aren't you?" Bakura asked, quickly and angrily, "Right. Boy likes boy. Just to avoid confusion, on of them will be called Pharaoh Dickhead, and the other will be called… Oh, I don't know… Yugi Mutou, perhaps?" Bakura used his fingers to demonstrate.

"You see, Yugi and Pharaoh Dickhead both love the arse off of one another, but Yugi is too shy to ask out Pharaoh Dickhead. Pharaoh Dickhead, however, is a dickhead. As a result, he will not ask Yugi out because he is too stupid to see what everybody else can, despite it isn't right in front of them, as it is for Pharaoh Dickhead!" Bakura said furiously. He lowered his fingers, eyes meeting with the deathly pale face of the Game King. "You're the master of puzzles and such forth… You solve the fucking problem!"

Yami placed his hands on his hips, imitating Bakura's standoffish stance. "I assume that Pharaoh Dickhead must ask little Yugi out then, to solve this crisis!" He said loudly, not caring if Set and Brother Semerkhet heard him.

"Correct!" Bakura yelled, breathing a sigh of relief, "So, tell me this Pharaoh Dickhead… WHY HAVEN'T YOU!"

Yami inhaled deeply, preparing himself both mentally and physically for what he was about to do, which would most probably involve surprising his little hikari.

"Well, if some bastard would have shut his fucking face, then maybe I would have done so sooner!" Yami replied calmly, turning to face the stunned, open-mouthed Yugi Mutou. His eyes were alight with hope and almost disbelief. Yami smiled and took both of Yugi's hands in his own.

"So, Yugi… Will you go out with me?" Yami asked, trying to keep the tremor out from his deep, husky voice. It worked… To an extent.

Yugi smiled and nodded his consent. With a sigh of relief from Yami, and a 'Finally,' from Bakura, the Game King leaned down and gave Yugi a proper, full-on kiss.

Yami's koi: again… I don't blame you for hating me. I've neglected this story so badly, but I just hope that… I'm gonna make this up to you gies, I swear. My fingers are sore, my head is sore and my neck is sore. Please review if you haven't abandoned all hope already… I could do with the encouragement.


	14. Boys of Summer

Yami's koi: OMG… THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR THE GREAT RESPONSES! YOU GIES ROCK!

Neutral Man: Yamiskoi and me are friends again… Lol.

Yami's koi: yeah, that's right. Within five months, a lot of shit can happen. So anyways, thank you so much for the encouragement… It meant so much to me… Thank you.

Yugi sat, wrapped contently in Yami's arms, almost forgetting where they were until he heard the distant sounds of chains clinking against metal. He turned and stared up into the blackness, seeing the smallest speck of white light at the top, only slightly cut off by what he thought to be two figures staring down at him. Shuddering, he glanced over at Bakura, who was being quite possessive of a blushing, sighing Ryou.

"Bakura! I'm not a baby!" Ryou insisted, pushing off Bakura for a moment. The tomb robber grinned, pulling Ryou back into him.

"Whatever." The man mumbled, glaring over at the flickering torchlight. It was then that something occurred to Yugi, and the curious young man needed it answered quickly.

"Hey, Bakura… How did you know you wouldn't die when you let go up there?" He asked, addressing one of Yami's thoughts as well.

Bakura sighed arrogantly, flicking his hair back over his shoulders elegantly. Now was one of those moments when his secrets would be revealed, and everyone would adore him, thinking how great and devious he was… And then they would be forced to bow before him, until Bakura got fed up of all the ass licking.

Then again, in reality, all they thought about him was that he was a quick thinker.

"Well…" Bakura began, taking his time in smirking and swishing his long, snowy locks back over his shoulders, "… Back in my Tomb raiding days, I could have easily stolen other's spirits and strengthened them myself. However, Diabound was almost like a brother to me. That sounds weird I know, because I couldn't have conversations or fun with him like I can with you… Not that I wanted to, I had more important things on my mind… But we both shared a goal, an ideal. So, it was on them grounds we built up a sort of… Friendship. And eventually we began to trust one another.

"It was far from perfect. It wasn't exactly what I had had in mind when robbing a tomb. But it was there, and I suppose, after everyone else had left me, it was something. Sure, it couldn't replace food, water and that little empty space in side, but it distracted me from such worries long enough to keep a level head. Diabound and I… Were a great team. Whenever we knew that nothing was left to be done, we would run together, movements uniting into one.

"With this silent agreement, involved sort of side-pacts. One of them was to save each other's asses at whatever cost… To rescue each other from death before we were left alone, without the only bit of company that was keeping us sane. Today, it seems, that agreement still stands. After remembering the incantation to summon Diabound to my aid whilst falling, he saved me, using his magic to defy gravity… All to save the spitting image of the Tomb Robber." Bakura gestured to his right cheek, where Yami knew to be an old scar, concealed now by some old magic.

"He… He knew it was me. He said my spirit, deep down, hadn't changed. I was still the same ruthless killer and thief I was three thousand years ago." At this, a twinge of bitterness entered the man's voice, eyes becoming distant. "It was almost as if the weathering of this modern world had done nothing to affect me inside… But I beg to differ." He kissed Ryou on the forehead, the small hikari suppressing a pleased smile and a blush.

Sensing the boy's willpower to prevent these things from being shown, Bakura grinned and carried on, a bit of strength returning to his voice. "Since I heard that, I've been waiting here… Staring longingly at the treasure I should have stumbled upon three thousand years ago, when I raided this tomb the first time." Bakura ran a long, pale finger along a nearby sceptre, sighing. "It seems that old saying is right… Old habits die hard. Now I just want the goods even more." He stared at the gold surrounding him gleefully, grinning.

Yugi rolled his eyes. Once a Thief, always a Thief.

"Okay, but now what are we going to do? We can't stay here, waiting like bait, for Set to just come down here and, I dunno… What is it that evil psychopaths do these days, Bakura?"

Bakura flipped the small boy off with no shame or thought of the consequences it would bring. "Generally we eat your eyes and roast your stomachs in stew, using the lining as a fabric softener." He snorted at the thought, resisting the urge to laugh mentally. "Of course we don't! Malik might, but he's weird anyway."

"We get the point!" Yami cried, exasperated. "We need a plan! He'll figure out what you've done sooner or later Bakura, and we can't just sit here like nothing will happen! He won't forget about us over night, you know! We need a plan!"

Bakura glared at the Pharaoh, sighing and rolling his eyes theatrically. "Well now you've said that, a million escape plans come to mind." He whispered sarcastically, using great emphasis on the word 'million'. "Why, I have one right now! Would you wish to hear it? I will throw Pharaoh Dickhead's forth and Set will devour his spirit. Then I will take his destroyed hikari, Ryou and myself, and run like fucking hell. Sound good?"

The Game King rolled his eyes, holding onto Yugi tighter. "Of course, but realistically… We need a plan."

"We decided on that ages ago, sweetheart," Ryou said sweetly – his special little way of letting everyone know that he was getting pissed off. Immediately Bakura got the hint, and so did the Pharaoh, after a small nudge from his hikari.

"So… Any vague ideas? Know any escape routes, Bakura?" Yugi asked miserably, wishing that he had some good source of light to help shake off the feeling that he was being watched. For some reason, he had always felt safest during the day.

The Thief sighed, feeling the cheek where he used to have a scar dejectedly.

"I could send Diabound on the trail, if that's what you mean, since it would be quicker." He answered at length, smirking. "But it would cost you. Plus, I won't know what he's found out until he returns to me. Our bond is not as strong now that I am Ryou's other half." He pulled the boy into his lap, grinning. "How about it?"

Yugi shrugged. "Hey, I can't think of anything else." He leaned forwards. "BUT USE YOUR FUCKING BRAINS!"

Bakura blinked in surprise at Yugi's outburst.

_**Jou and Seto, The Cabin**_

Chunks of yellow foam had been hurled across the room by this point at the young man's frustration, and Jou snarled at the clock.

Five minutes had passed since he'd last checked. FIVE! He'd called the emergency services, what, fifteen minutes ago! Why the HELL could you get a pizza delivered to your house in ten minutes, and yet an ambulance and the hospitals would take three days to even register what had been asked of them? Jou knew deep down that what he was saying was over exaggerated, but right now all he could see was Seto's bloodied face before him, causing him to flip out.

His moods had swung like an executioners axe those past few minutes, and he couldn't contain himself. Jou knew that some of the punishments he would receive for ripping apart the sofa would be both pleasurable and serious, scolding ones… But he couldn't care less.

The sounds of sirens filled Jou's ears, and it took him a full minute to comprehend who they were coming for. Glaring out of the window, he saw nothing for a good few minutes, hearing nothing more than the sounds of sirens approaching swiftly. Then, he saw it – the glorious, sparkling white ambulance, slowing down to a halt right outside the cabin. Without a second thought, he opened the door and yelled at the stressed men for being so late.

Somewhere in his sleep-like state, Seto must have smiled, for his body twitched but did not awaken fully. The paramedics, therefore, wasted more time (again, in Jou's impatient eyes) waiting to see if the teenage CEO awoke.

When he did not, they finally hauled him onto a stretcher and began to carry him out. Although before this had taken place, Jou had had every intention of leaving Seto. But when he looked at the man's broken face, he realised that he couldn't do it.

Sometimes, loving Seto could be easy. It could be hard depending on the situation and location, and of course if Mokuba was present, but otherwise, things went pretty plain sailing. They had fought – Oh, by fucking god, they had fought – But they'd always managed to work it out somehow. Smiling, Jou went to pull himself up into the back of the ambulance, where Kaiba was lying---

When he found himself alone, reaching out towards something that was not there. Sweat dropping, he realised that he had either:

Imagined the ambulance arriving and putting Seto onto a stretcher in his boredom.

Gotten distracted so quickly he'd not even noticed his lover had left him.

Either way, Jou felt like an idiot. He re-entered the cabin, staring at the empty patch of nothingness that had occupied Seto's previous place on the sofa. Knowing instantly what this meant, Jou balled his fists in anger, and began pounding the shit out of the already tattered sofa, a pink tint spreading across his cheeks.

_**Yugi, Yami, Ryou and Bakura**_

Realising instantly what Yugi had meant by his small outburst, he set Diabound on the tail and resumed his place behind Ryou, face set in an expression of deep thought and concentration. His light giggled for a moment before thinking deeply, searching desperately for an idea to get them out of this mess.

The silent brainstorming time, however, was cut short by the sound of Yami's deep, husky voice.

"I know that we have to avoid leaving Set and Brother Semerkhet to wreak havoc," He began, disturbing everyone's thoughts, "So maybe we should begin by discussing battle plans?"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "No shit. What do you think we've been doing, Pharaoh?" He sneered, as if someone with the lowest capacity of knowledge should have known this. "We could use Diabound, but I've been thinking of a back up plan in case they swoop down in on us before he returns." He leaned forwards, exposing his once scarred cheek, and sighed. For one moment, Yugi could have sworn that he saw the old scar return to the Thief's face, but then realised it must have been the flickering torch light playing with his active imagination. Even so, he blinked and stared at Bakura's cheek until the Robber felt uneasy, and touched his cheek.

"Anyway…" He threw an unsure glance at Yugi. "… What happened last time Set was sealed?"

"It didn't work, he was awoken and now we're on the run from him?" Ryou asked dully, grimacing. "I believe he… He'd cut up his brother's body parts into fourteen pieces, right? Then he… His father… No, wait, Osiris' son, Horus, defeated him in battle and Ra helped him to be locked away…" He glanced at the two impressed Egyptians. "Am I right?"

Yami nodded first, collecting his thoughts when he saw a pebble fall from nowhere. Everyone glanced up uneasily, but saw nothing but a tiny pinprick of light shining upon their dirty, bloodstained skin. Slowly lowering the long-held gaze up at what appeared to be nothing, Yami began to speak once more.

"Yes, you're right, Ryou. Ra was the one to finally seal him away, by the most gruesome ways possible… I won't go into details. I believe that we will need to find a key of some sort that will seal him back again… Or, if that fails, then we'll get Ra onto him," He said, cracking his knuckles.

"A key. Where the hell will we find a key, Pharaoh?" Bakura asked sarcastically, mocking the man before him. At this, however, Yami rose to his feet, jaw clenched in anger.

"You fucking--"

"Ooh, the Pharaoh is coming to get me! Oh, I am so scared!" Bakura cried, in a fake-girlish voice. "Oh, no, please don't hurt me! Then we'll never find the key---"

**CRACK!**

Bakura, who had been prancing around the Game King tauntingly, was left off-balance, staggering to keep his footing. Ryou gripped his shoulder, as the man was still without his shirt, and stared up in fear at the place from where he fell. Mimicking his action, Yugi swallowed and stepped away from Yami to look up.

And what he saw made his stomach turn to ice. The tiny spot of light that had once been visible had now expanded… But the glimmer was now not white. The colour of the light was red, and just in the middle, there were two figures, descending at an alarming pace towards the group of four.

Almost as if he was possessed somehow, Bakura stepped back. He glanced at his hikari, who had not moved an inch due to fright. His hazel coloured eyes were wide, and his lips had parted slightly to form the look of someone paralysed in fear. His bloodstained but otherwise pale cheek twitched as the man gulped.

"Ryou, get out of the way." Bakura said quickly and loudly, hoping the message would get through. His coequal began to tremble, obviously having not heard him.

"They're h-here…" He stuttered in a small whisper. The Thief gasped inwardly. Yugi and Yami had already stepped back, seeing the force Set and Semerkhet were falling. It was only Ryou now, but he could not move. With every passing second, the two beings of darkness were getting closer, and Bakura kept calling his loves' name.

"RYOU!" Bakura yelled this time, leaping towards Ryou to shove him out of the way, just as Set plummeted to the place where the young light had been just a moment ago. Bakura cried out in pain, his already injured shoulder being clipped by the God's hand. He wouldn't have been surprised if it was broken. He grinned feebly, picking himself up off the floor to glare at the God who had once been imprisoned.

"So… It's you." The Thief stated simply, one hand gripping his damaged shoulder, fingers massaging at the skin to help ease the pain somewhat. He smirked. "What difference does it make? We couldn't finish the riddle. We're finished until we do."

One side of Set's decayed mouth stretched, tearing the weak, paper-thin flesh that was left there. With a bandaged hand, he brushed the dead skin away, and Ryou squeaked, fear once again consuming him. He wanted to move, to hide behind Bakura like the scared little child that he was, but found that his limbs were too heavy, that he could not move a muscle. Sure, he was still breathing, but what good what that do him if he wanted to attack in battle? You may have thought of several good things that would come out of Ryou being able to breathe whilst fighting, but in the poor hikari's fragile state, he could not think of any advantages it would give him.

With Set's dead skin falling to the floor, Semerkhet's chains rattled impatiently by his master's side. The God sighed, turning to stare at the numerous heaps of gold that were situated around him.

"My riches," He said quietly, gesturing to the piles with that slight smile of his. "They should have been removed from this place when Bakura had visited me the first time, or even when I was buried alive."

Bakura shrugged, speaking to his companions out of the corner of his mouth:

"Not entirely true. I stole some of his treasures, more than he could imagine. I sold it on the black market for a fortune."

Obviously hearing this, Set's face turned into one of mild anger, but not of surprise. Bakura shrugged again.

"I was a Tomb Robber, after all. It was my decision to either rob your tomb first and then kill you, or kill you first and never return to this place again. Of course, I chose the first option." A small smirk greeted Bakura's lips, and Set began to glare at him. It wasn't a glare of anger, however, just one of deep thought.

'Bakura is their best ally…' The ancient God thought, eyeing the others with little concern. 'It would make sense to have him take the fall of death first. That would then destroy Ryou's spirit, who would most likely kill himself to join his lover in death, which would only leave the Pharaoh and his midget hikari, Yugi.

'But to deceive Bakura… That is a difficult thing to do. He fooled me many a times already, and I was never prepared for any of the consequences or traps he had laid out for me. He's a master of mystery.

'However… Maybe I'm thinking too hard. I just told myself, as soon as Bakura has gone, then the others shall be child's play. I will just need to approach the Thief with caution.' Set mulled, all the while staring out of his once gloriously golden eyes sockets, lips curling into somewhat of a grin.

_**Jou, the cabin**_

Sure, Seto would be pissed. Jou would just have to accept that and move on… And accepted it he had.

In nothing short of ten minutes, he had gathered together an admirable amount of supplies. Food and water had been his main concerns, but now that he'd thought carefully about things, he would need a weapon of some sort too.

So there he was, shifting aside yellow pieces of foam in the living room to search for something that at least vaguely resembled a weapon. A sharp knife, he's already got. Now he was looking for something such as a gun, when a sudden brainwave washed over him.

Bakura is a Tomb Robber. He has weapons. It would make sense to raid his room and suitcase.

Berating himself for his slow uptake, Jou made his way upstairs, edging around the spot where Seto had fallen. In a few short moments, he had reached the main rooms, and found suitcases in one, and four unmade beds in another. Rolling his eyes at how alike he and his friends are, he made for the room with the suitcases. He rummaged through the first, but found little else than duelling disks and cards. Eventually realising that this must belong to Yami or Yugi, Jou moved onto the next one. Spotting a green and white striped shirt, the blonde grinned, hitting the jackpot.

Of course, Jou hadn't hoped to find anything of great magnificence – Bakura would have taken his best weapons with him when he rushed out to save his beloved hikari. But even so, Jou found a nice collection of short swords and a small automatic pistol. He attached the sheath to his side, short sword sticking out from under his jacket ever so slightly, and then found the ammunition that came with the gun. He grabbed these and attached these to his belt, picking up his bag to make sure he had everything.

"I jus' hope it ain't too late for Jou to save the day!" The blonde cried to himself, leaping down several steps at a time, reaching the ground floor in an instant. He moved towards the front door – in fact, he had in hand on his keys to insert into the lock – when he heard his cell ringing.

Placing the keys into the lock and turning them to unlock the cabin door, Jou answered the call.

"Y'ello?"

"You are FUCKING dead when I see you, sexy."

Jou blushed instantly, hearing Seto's groggy but still powerful and carrying voice from down the phone. He sweat dropped, knowing what the man was thinking. A slight blush passed over his cheeks, and Seto carried on at the silence.

"Can you tell what was wrong with that sentence?"

Jou swallowed, licking his lips. "You… You called me sexy…" Jou pointed out, slowly, quietly, even though no one was there with him.

It was true: he'd been called this. But worse of all, Seto only said things like that… word… when he was deeply, truly pissed off.

"Correct," Kaiba's silky voice said, just a tinge of anger in it now. "And do you want to know why I am angry?"

Jou sighed, kicking the floor with his foot as if Seto was actually there, in front of him. He nodded, even though his lover wouldn't know that, either. It was all part of what he did whenever he'd done something wrong in Seto's eyes.

"I'll tell you why," Seto continued, "Because I know my puppy is going down into those caves, and he's going without me. He's going to get hurt."

Jou blinked rapidly. He hadn't expected a response like that. "Huh?" He asked dumbly.

If Seto had been there, he would have probably rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Look, mutt, you don't have a lot of time. I'm just slightly concussed, the doctor's say, but even so, they're keeping me in this shit hole until I show signs of definite recovery. And if you die, I'm coming after you in the afterlife Yami keeps talking about."

Jou was about to say something, when he heard the loud, carrying voice of a young lady – a nurse, probably – berating Seto for using his cell phone when so near medical equipment – most of which he was hooked up to.

"All right, lady, now fuck off." Seto replaced the earpiece back to his ear as if nothing had happened. "So just be careful, pup. Don't die on me in there. I love you."

Jou grinned, "I love you too, ya big puff." With this, he hung up.

_**Yami, Bakura, Yugi, Ryou, Set and Semerkhet**_

Almost as if reading his enemy's mind, Bakura gave off his confident grin. Sure, his stomach injury was still stinging slightly, but the power of love would quell it, he thought with a smirk. He drew a sword from his belt quickly.

"So, are you gonna stand there taking in my gorgeous appearance, or are we gonna fight?" Bakura asked, deep voice lowering slightly with tension and excitement. Even though he knew this was neither the time nor the place, Ryou couldn't help but feel oddly aroused by the sound of his yami's voice when it was so low.

Bakura smirked. /I'll deal with you later/ he thought to his hikari, grin widening. Ryou immediately blushed, and Yugi giggled. They made such a cute couple.

Not to mention Ryou would be getting some good sex.

Set regarded the king of thieves with his devious grin. "Has your little light ever seen just how many scars you keep concealed from him?"

Bakura quirked an eyebrow. "What are you getting at? I thought we were here to fight." He gestured at Yami to fuck off, when he heard his heavy footfall approach him. "My fight, my fight only." He mumbled in Egyptian, not bothering to give Ryou an interpretation. He needed to be in the right frame of mind to fight someone, and Ryou would definitely distract him.

Set shrugged the bone of his shoulder. Bakura noticed it had some blood spattered on it, but he had no idea where from.

"I was merely saying… Ryou thinks you're so beautiful, I'm sure… But has he seen what your real face looks like?"

Bakura's raised eyebrow rose even higher. "You mean… The scars on my face?" He asked slowly, deliberating whether Ryou had ever seen them. He turned his head ever so slightly, so he could see the pale boy behind him staring at him, obviously confused.

"What? Bakura has scars on his face?" Ryou asked innocently. Yet when he spoke so sweetly, he glared again at Set, who was standing a little ahead of Semerkhet to show off his superior-ness in the Egyptian hierarchy. It was making him sick… They both obviously had the intention of taking out the strongest person here first, but before they could do that, they wanted to try and make him feel bad so that his mind would be distracted by how he looked.

Then again, that definitely didn't sound like Bakura. The only time he'd ever been distracted in battle was when somebody else's life or body was in danger… Usually this meant Ryou was hurt, but the boy pushed those facts aside with a little smile and blush. Even though they were true, Ryou too, could not afford to become preoccupied by other thoughts not directly connected with the battle at hand.

Bakura nodded, but all Ryou could really see was his spikes bouncing up and down. He giggled, despite himself. It looked cute.

"Yeah, no thanks to raiding tombs and getting filthy rich," Bakura added, with a smirk. He knew that Ryou's giggle had not been about the thought of Bakura with a horrid face. In that case, it was all right.

Set grinned, showing off chipped, almost none-existent teeth, decayed and browned by the years gone by.

"You will not find it so funny when I force him to reveal them." The maddening grin stayed there this time. Before anyone could blink, Semerkhet darted forwards, having every intention of keeping Bakura still.

Of course, the elite Thief had been anticipating a move such as this, so he eluded it, ducking to the left. Semerkhet's hand curled around nothingness.

Without a moment to spare, Bakura turned his body so he was facing Semerkhet's back. He had left it wide open. Without any further ado, he pushed his sword into the hollow of the creature's back. It made an interesting sound when the remaining skin was breached, and Bakura frowned, feeling little or no resistance as he urged the sword to go even further through the being's body.

Semerkhet, of course, lurched forwards (that is, away from Bakura, given their current positions), so that the sword merely hung through mid air. The ghost's chains clanked as he turned, glaring with hollow eyes into the chocolate ones of Bakura.

The Tomb Robber raised an eyebrow, but before he could make any kind of smart-ass comment, he felt something warm graze by his cheek. He turned around instantly to look at Set with wide, glaring eyes.

Sadly, this was exactly what the God had wanted.

Yami's koi: Yay! Another chapter is done! XD I've been off of school this week, so I've been writing like crazy. I wrote the last part when I was drunk, so please excuse any errors.

Neutral Man: then why are your other fics on hold still?

Yami's koi: because… I have yet to complete some of those I have on adultfan before I do anything else.

Readers: damn you!

Yami's koi: anyways, thank you so much for reading this… And for picking up from where I last left off. Your reviews of encouragement and understanding meant more to me than anything else. It's thanks to you that I've been writing this story again, not just resorting to writing a big fat 'DISCONTINUED' sign on the summary… Thank you so much!

Neutral Man: But the next time her mother is a bitch, you'll all know about it.

Yami's koi: that's for sure. I will post the next chapter in a matter of weeks. So hold on tight, and please drop me a review!


	15. Nancy Boy

Yami's koi: you all have such high opinions of Ryou, but as you all know, this will be the first test of their newly formed relationship.

Neutral Man: oh, so technical and posh.

Yami's koi: shaddup! Anyways, here's an update… I don't think Guess will last many chapters after this one… Sadly. Or would it be gladly? I dunno… Anyways, have fun reading this! XD

Set's spell caught on Bakura's right cheek, where his prominent scars from the days in which he plundered riches used to be. He dodged out of the way of the thing that had hit him; despite knowing it was too late. The man felt a warm sensation caress across the areas were his scars had once been.

Why he still hid the scars, he did not know. Maybe he had thought himself bad looking with them. Perhaps they symbolised his defeat to the Pharaoh. Maybe Bakura saw them as poisonous to his appearance. Perhaps they were something that Bakura had thought of unsuitable for this new, fresh life with Ryou, and he did not want them to hinder his chances of being truly happy. Bakura did not fully know why he concealed them, but he knew one thing – he felt better not having to hide himself behind them.

There were so many issues that could have been related with his scars – defeat, embarrassment, weakness, lack of beauty, lack of confidence… and so, the list would continue, if only the Thief would allow it. Defeat? Sure, he had to gain some scars in the past… it was only natural, considering which career path the Gods had gifted him with. Weakness? Even if for just one moment, Bakura had allowed someone to sneak past his guard and attack him, scarring the man mentally and physically for life. Lack of beauty had never really bothered Bakura – He knew he was an attractive man, there was no doubt about it – but lack of confidence may have been a sore issue that he did not want to deal with. For Bakura, this was weakness. It was hesitation. It was doubt. And all of them would have contributed to his downfall as being the King of Thieves during his time alive in ancient Egypt.

After a few moments, Bakura froze in the position he was in – in his attempt to dodge Set's curse, his back had arched, leaving Bakura balancing on his two feet and one finger that barely touched the sand. The warm sensation in his face died away, and he realised that if he looked in the mirror, he would see the haunting face that he had been condemned with in his Egyptian life. He thought he had escaped all of that… A series of emotions came arching through his being, and all of a sudden, he wanted to run and hide. He had never felt so exposed.

Bakura's back slowly straightened. He became slowly aware that everything around him was quiet; apart from the heavy labouring his seemingly tired lungs were giving him, that is. All of a sudden it became very, very difficult to breathe.

Once he was standing at his original height, Bakura's fingers gently caressed against his cheek. Sure as hell, he could feel the slight rise in flesh over certain areas of skin. A silky smooth surface that seemed oddly combined with bumps met with his fingers.

The Thief's eyes widened, and his hand fell to his side. In an instant, he gripped the handle of his sword and used it to block the attack Set had sent soaring towards his abdomen.

Set froze, face stuck on the expression he had held before he attacked: one of great superiority and also cunning. Now, however, after his attack had been deflected into one of his burial possessions, it was fading ever so slightly, into a sour look of anger and also questioning.

Bakura smirked in an almost arrogant way at the God, sword still held out in front of him in case of another attack. He had suspected something like that would happen… How oddly obvious of Set…

"That was devious," Bakura said at length, lowering his sharp, lustrous weapon to twirl it slightly between his fingers. The light beamed at his friends for just a moment before shining back onto the Thief's enemy. "But very, very predictable. Shame on you."

If Set had had proper human eyes, Bakura was very certain that he would have been glaring at him. Absent-mindedly, Bakura turned, then cursed aloud when he realised everyone could see his marred face. It had been so very long since he had had to care about that side of his face so much. He went to turn again, but after a few moments of standing the way he was, he realised the torches had cast an eerie glow over his face, making the scars even more prominent.

In this time, Ryou barely concealed his gasp of surprise. The scar ran vertically up Bakura's right eye (and he still had an eye after that?). On the actual cheek there were two horizontal scars, seemingly done at the same time as one another – they seemed almost parallel. Bakura's eyes seemed the same as they always had, but now they contained something Ryou decided instantly did not suit him at all.

It was raw, cold fear. It looked as if it had been dormant within the Thief for a while, considering its intensity and amount. In all of his years they had known each other, Ryou could not draw out a single memory in which Bakura was allowing himself to show such emotion in this kind of quantity. Nothing even came close.

In this instance, Ryou both pitied Bakura and hated Set. He did not know which emotion ruled over him more – hatred or sorrow. He looked again at Bakura, taking only small glances in case he hurt his love, and realised something he knew everyone else had.

There was nothing wrong with Bakura having a scar... Or three. It had not turned him into some sort of rage driven, blood lusting monster. It had not affected his ability to love, or to judge. Underneath that scar that was seen as a mar, it was still Bakura, the King of Thieves. In fact, if anything, it made the man look sexier, in an odd way. It made him look more willing to fight for anyone and for any reason possible, even if it meant risking his own life.

And, as ashamed and as selfish as Ryou felt at admitting this, that was the kind of level of devotion that he wanted.

Whilst Ryou stole tiny glances from Bakura, the Thief realised he was trying to spare the man's feelings. Deep down he felt some of the fear shift into relief. But he considered Ryou's expression – which was one of deep thought – and prayed that his hikari was not as shallow as Set hoped him to be.

But when Ryou's face broke into a large smile, Bakura became confused, previous thoughts abandoned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? He tried to flinch away when he saw Ryou approach him, trying to cast the firelight onto the other side of his face. But when Ryou's fingers touched against the scar lightly, Bakura turned his face back and stared into the most sincere, loving eyes he had ever seen.

"You aren't any different from the Bakura I fell in love with," Ryou whispered softly, a slight tremble in his voice.

Bakura's face broke into a broad grin. He had never doubted Ryou for a second.

Then, Ryou's eyes widened.

"DUCK!" He yelled, throwing himself on top of Bakura to prevent the Thief from being struck with Set's spell. The young hikari felt the wind slice through his hair, but could tell nothing had been damaged. Over Bakura's similar hair, he glared at the God.

"You're one sadistic bastard, you know that?" Ryou asked coldly, moving to a stand above Bakura. The Tomb Robber soon followed, pushing Ryou behind him gently. He had almost forgotten about his scars when he felt them again, and he sighed, staring sorrowfully at Set.

"So, you tried to lower my esteem by showing everyone my scars. This would have had an impact on the way I fought. I never knew you to play fair, but even for you, that is pretty damn low, Set," Bakura said seriously, folding his arms with a slight smirk settling on his features. "But then again, I suppose it wouldn't matter to a big, ugly bastard like you, would it? Let alone one who was so jealous of his own brother he killed him, all for a little fame and glory… But did you ever stop to think about the reasons why you were so unpopular, Set?

"Was it the lack of great things that you did? Or was it the ugliness of your features? Or maybe it was your lack of complete common sense. I suppose you can't help it though… I mean, there's got to be one person out there who's a complete fucktard. It's just such a shame it had to be a God, of all people… The humiliation you must have gone through!"

By this time, everyone in the dimly lit, treasure-filled tomb has realised what Bakura was doing – with, of course, the exception of Set. Bakura was using Set's own techniques against him. He was spiting the man so he would, as Yami says, 'Squander his energy until there is nothing left but a broken, empty shell. Then, we attack.'

Set's hollow eye sockets would have widened, his eyebrows furrowing with rage, had he actually got the said features. Without even so much as a battle cry to warn Bakura, Set lunged himself forwards, bursts of light frantically emitting from Set's bandaged, aged hand whilst Bakura did his best to shove the others into a safe place.

Once he did this, he performed a backwards somersault, landing on his feet expertly before having to dart to his left, flattening himself out against the wall. He ducked another one of Set's ferocious beams of light (he didn't know what they would do when they struck him, but the gaping hole in the wall where his head had been moments ago gave him a fair idea), before hurling himself between the creature's legs, throwing his body weight onto his other side in order to be lying on his back.

Despite all of this happening in a matter of seconds, Yugi was confused already. He glanced around, hoping to keep well out of the way of this battle, whilst at the same time feeling conflicting emotions about how he was being a terrible friend to the Thief King. At the end of the day, Yugi knew, he would only get in the way of Bakura during the fight. But did that mean he would be unable to give the man at least some sort of support? He didn't feel like cheer leading would help. That would only distract Bakura. But what else could he do? Yugi closed his eyes, finally understanding what it was like to be completely helpless, drowning in an ocean of self-pity and self-hatred until a tsunami of further emotions came to destroy him totally.

Set aimed a further three beams of light throw a gaping hole in his middle, slicing through the bandages he'd haphazardly tied there. Bakura's eyes widened, and, uttering a loud Egyptian curse, dared to try his weapons out against the magic.

Even as he raised his curved swords, Bakura doubted this would work. Surely his swords would have little effect against Set's Godly shadow magic?

His thoughts turned out to be incorrect. He batted the assault as if he were playing baseball, and stared in surprise as the attacks collided with Set's knee. The area disintegrated, and the God's body made a weak hissing sound, much like a snake poised to attack its unsuspecting victim.

As much as Bakura did not want to, he had to find out what just happened, and why it did. He turned his head sharply towards the pale faces of his friends, glaring at Yami in particular.

"Pharaoh! Why did that just happen?" Bakura spat, jumping up onto his feet, chocolate coloured eyes flicking between the group and the staggering form of his opponent.

"Did you steal your swords from a Tomb in Ancient Egypt?" Yami suggested, also staring at Set's slowly recovering form.

"Naturally," Bakura replied, poising himself for the next attack.

Yami rolled his eyes despite himself. That was so very like Bakura.

"The Pharaoh you stole them from-" He gasped when Bakura dipped his head, curling his body in such a way that he missed a beam of now suddenly dark light. "-Had probably put a spell on them-" Bakura darted around a nearby pillar, using the reflection in his sword so he would be able to emerge from behind the stone as soon as the assault struck its target. "-Which means you can use the magic within them to-" Yami frowned when Set used his own magic to move so suddenly, Bakura's timing was thrown off guard. Unsure of where to look, Bakura simply threw himself behind the prone body of Brother Semerkhet, using the fiend's torso to hide behind. When his thoughts finally caught up with his body, and he realised this actions would do little for him, Bakura flattened his body down against the floor and prepared for the worse.

Of course, what with Semerkhet being a ghost, the attack was expected to pass straight through him, the bottom of the magic just skimming the top of Bakura's hair. Waving goodbye to several of his gorgeously spiky, long locks, the Thief cringed… And was shocked when Set's attack actually struck his second opponent. Brother Semerkhet stumbled back several paces, walking straight through Bakura's body. The man shivered, but regained his composure when another beam of death bringing light shot past him, just grazing his leg. The jeans there instantly singed, Bakura rolled out of the way and began to dart his way through numerous gold statues, unsure of just where the hell this battle would lead him.

But the most important thing was… Why the hell the God's attack struck Semerkhet, Set's ally, instead of Bakura, the obviously intended target? Bakura's eyebrows furrowed together in though, and he threw himself down onto the floor to avoid another attack from coming into contact with his human body.

Glancing around, Bakura pushed another gold statue of the Goddess, Isis, into the path of Set's attack, only hearing it shatter into miniscule pieces before diving into a small cavern, leading into another chamber below the desert floor.

_**Jou **_

Once locking the door, he was off. Jou broke out into a frantic run down the path of the cabin, using the narrow sidewalk from there onwards to rush out down to the beach.

A million fears and hopes were running through his head at that moment. Although Jou had never seen himself as a complex being – what you see is what you get – He often thought about things more than what people originally anticipated. Sadly, he hardly ever confided in others what such further thoughts were.

But right now, his usually cheerful, humorous disposition was twisted into one of desperation and determination. Desperation because he needed to find his friends in time if he was to be of any use to them. Determination because he was willing to do whatever it took to ensure his friend's were okay. Deep down, a lot of people probably thought that this was corny and lame, but Jou couldn't have cared less as his sneakers pounded across the sandy beach.

He was gasping for breath by the time he had reached the beaches sandy surface. There were a few tourists gathered around the area, some taking photos, buying ice creams from a nearby vender – The typical things people do when on vacation.

Too bad that Jou couldn't be like them. He raced past those taking family snap shots, earning several curses in various languages, to which Jou responded with by kicking up dust in their faces. Lives were at stake here, and all they could think about was one ruined photograph.

You could take another photo. It was just a shame that you couldn't have a second chance at life. Jou gritted his teeth as he raged on, despite his lungs burning within his chest. Pushing his low cardiovascular endurance out of the way, Jou raged on.

A few moments later, he was met with the secluded area of the beach… The part where all those famous archaeologists disappeared… And where Bakura, Yami and Yugi were.

If Ryou was there, he did not know. But there was only one way to find out, right? Jou nodded to himself, and walked towards the cave entry ever so slowly, until he felt the sand beneath his feet begin to crack and give way ever so slightly. Inhaling deeply, he stepped back once, only to leap forwards in one giant burst of energy, getting a rush of adrenaline from the feeling of the floor falling from beneath him.

Sand and wind gushed past Jou's body, the two forces combining to slice against the boy's cheek, like a knife. He shut his eyes, trying to spare them the agony of having grit in them. Jou made his body as streamline as possible, his stomach lurching dangerously, just wanting this trip to be over…

And sure enough, his backside left the sloping gradient of the tomb's entrance for just a moment, before he was met with another rough landing. His stomach collided with the sandy desert floor, causing the boy to hesitate in pain. Without much more of a warning, Jou leaned to one side and retched.

_**Bakura**_

Bakura could not carry on running forever. He would not allow himself to do so. At any moment, Set could decide to turn back, and take on the almost defenceless Yugi, or even Ryou. The Pharaoh would be able to protect himself, but what about the hikari's? Bakura's ground his teeth as he ducked another attack.

In all honesty, he had lost sight of where Set was. He was fighting his way through a maze of golden statues, most of which were of Set's fellow Gods. Another relic shattered near to where Bakura was standing, and the man whirled around, suddenly wishing he had been able to scour these surroundings before taking any form of action against the God standing before him.

"Come now, Bakura… It's not like you to run away from a fight… Are you afraid?"

Bakura's mouth twitched up at the corners. "That's not like me, either." He retorted, before throwing himself to his left, darting in between numerous statues until he was certain Set was in front of him. He ran his fingers against the cool, smooth surfaces, thus reminding himself not to go completely berserk with this gie as he approached the God. With a look of glee fixed on his face, Bakura thrust his sword through the sculpture before him, breaking the gold before managing to slice its way through the God's decayed spinal cord.

Sure enough, this seemed to have had a desirable effect. The God's front arched forwards, and with a growl, the God reached behind him and, with a sickening grinding sound, the sword came back out.

Face contorted in a mixture of satisfaction and disgust at what he had just saw, Bakura turned on his heel and ran for the nearest statuette. Of course, the downsides to using that technique included losing a weapon of great use, and also that it gave away the man's position. He dodged behind several more of the elegant sculptures, hoping to confuse Set's sense of direction, if he dared to follow. Bakura saw beams of light headed in the direction he was standing in, and so threw himself at the floor, hurling himself between the parted legs of a statue of Anubis.

Sure as hell, the Anubis statue shattered, and the shards scattered onto Bakura's body. The last thing Bakura did was protect his head with his arms and hands before he felt the pieces collide with his body and head…

_**Jou**_

With what felt like most of his innards poured out onto the floor, Jou finally managed to haul himself to his feet… When his eyes met with that of a terrifying monster.

In effect, one would have had to be blind to not notice the beast. But as Jou stared up at the being, all thoughts of his friends, and of reasoning, fled his mind. He later felt guilty for doing so, but was soon reassured never to feel responsibility for one moment of fear, when death seemed inevitable.

Jou's chocolate coloured eyes absorbed the creature first. The thing's angular facial features glared through the darkness at him, which would have looked just as impressive, had it been any closer. Three whisker-like bolts shot from the side of this inhuman face, shielding the shoulders that held the offspring of wings. Bulked, intensely developed muscles gave Jou the distinct memory of a wrestler he had once seen on TV, although, he thought, terrified, as his eyes wandered lower, the warrior had actually been human. The beast has a serpent-like tail, which actually curled around the wings and emerged as a snake, baring its venomous fangs to the American boy.

Jou, like anyone else would in his situation, was horrified. Was this what had taken the lives' of his friends, or had it been guarding this entrance on the off chance another intruder would arrive? Had the being sensed his coming? Or was this an illusion, brought on by the sickness and paranoia that the darkness surrounding him could bring?

Nervously, Jou took a feeble step back. He vaguely wondered why, realising that once he stepped back, he had only aided the beast. For all know that it is easier to attack a target that is directly in front of you, not directly below you.

Just as Jou had prepared his weakened body to run in the opposite direction, the creature paused, apparently only just seeing him. The blank, uncoloured eyes gazed down at Jou, the light striking the creature's face in such a way that the being looked constantly angry.

A triangular fingernail pointed to Jou, rising slowly from the beast's side.

He said something in Egyptian that Jou could never hope to explain. However, if he had been able to interpret the long since dead language, Jou knew that he would have been unable to form a reply anyway – The creature's body was so impressive, enhanced by the dim light and height, that he doubted even Bakura would be able to hold his cocky attitude when facing this beast.

The beast's soulless eyes glared down at Jou, and he repeated what he had said just. This time, Jou managed a weak, pathetic response.

"I… Don't get whatcha sayin'… I… Can't understand ya…" He stuttered, barely able to form a sentence.

The beast did not move upon hearing this. However, Jou began to feel uneasy, and averted his gaze to the side.

He was going to die. He would never see his friends again… Tears formed in his eyes as he sensed the being above him shift, as if impatient. Jou stared back into the face of death, just a scared little boy that wanted nothing more than for this all to be a dream… Seto would not be in hospital, he would not be faced with the struggle of inhaling his last breath, and his friends would not be stuck in an impossibly difficult situation that Jou could only begin to comprehend.

Instead of unleashing the cobra's wrath upon his small (in comparison, at least) body, the creature considered Jou. Jou stared into the beast's blank, expressionless eyes, shoulders trembling.

Again, the being opened its mouth and uttered several words of a tongue that Jou did not understand. The blonde chewed on his lower lip anxiously, knowing that being unable to answer would aggravate it further, but what else could he do? Having a conversation in two totally different languages, when neither could understand the other, would only end in one way… Death. And judging by the size, strength and obvious emotional states that they both were in, Jou would be the one facing the cold, sandy floor, dying a coward.

"I don't know what you're saying…" Jou whined, gripping his hair frantically. "I don't get it…"

The beast repeated his previous statement – or question, which ever, advancing on the American – and Jou's knees connected with the dusty, vomit stained floor.

"I don't fuckin' get you!"

The cry resounded from the cave's walls, and the being above glared mercilessly down upon Jou's twitching form. Jou's eyebrows almost touched,

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YA AT, BAKURA?" Jou screamed, now delusional from the idea of his upcoming death. The fingers that gripped his hair now tugged, beautiful blonde strands coming out in his hands, unbeknownst to the boy.

Diabound paused, cobra ceasing its shifting, the only sound in the chamber being that of Jou's heavy, frantic breathing, and the snake's quiet hissing near his head.

"Bakura?" The thing's voice asked, speaking in that deliciously foreign voice that it had.

At this familiar word, Jou's head raised. What a sight he looked! His knees were spread wide, feet propping him up, jeans slightly dusty from the desert floor. His face was pale, bangs falling into his left eyes ever so slightly, forced there by the hands holding the fringe in place, that still gripped blonde locks, as if they were sustaining him, keeping him alive.

Slowly, those hands lowered, and Jou's fringe shifted ever so slightly. He stared back into the eyes that he had previously thought would be his last sight before dying, now feeling less afraid of what was to come. Instead, he was more curious, and only talking back to the beast before him would slake this.

"Bakura?" Jou asked cautiously, undecided as to if this being was a friend or foe to the Thief. He pushed himself off of the ground, and slowly stood, bringing himself back up to his usual height. He didn't feel so small anymore.

Diabound gave a nod, and his long snake tail swished across the sand, as if it was as smooth as silk. The creature murmured the grave robber's name again, and carried on to say more in his own tongue. Jou simply nodded.

"He's in a shit-load of trouble." Jou tried, to no avail. He had just interrupted the large beast, with very limited ways of communicating to him what was actually happening. Glancing around on the floor near him, Jou grinned. He had an idea.

Picking up a pebble from the gritty ground, he began to draw in the sand, in the style that was used frequently in Egyptian tombs. He drew Bakura's hair (badly), and drew someone ready to attack him. Sure, the figures were only stick men with heads and hair, but it seemed to get the message across to the deadly being before him.

Diabound considered the drawings for a moment, and at length spoke of Bakura again. His words were spoken harshly but quickly, and although Jou would undoubtedly never understand them, he knew instinctively that the creature was anxious about something – Most probably, Bakura.

Jou nodded as Diabound used one of his long fingernails to scrape a message into the ground, conveyed through drawings so that Jou would be able to understand. Jou watched in awe, as the beast's deceivingly nimble and gentle hand moved to help create a well-sketched image. It showed Bakura with what seemed to be a sword, shafted between his ribs, with three horrified onlookers.

Jou nodded immediately, smiling to try and show to his foreign companion that he was going along the right lines.

At this affirmation, Diabound's cobra approached Jou silkily, sliding gracefully across the desert floor, and Jou slowly stood at his actual height. Although he was not aware of any fear towards snakes, he knew when to be wary, and give reasons for why he felt this way.

The snake flickered its tongue out, almost touching Jou's face. The boy tried not to blink, recalling what he had once seen one time during class, staring into the cobra's eyes evenly.

Without warning, Diabound's hand, that was nothing smaller than the size of two computer desks in width, scooped Jou up, causing the boy to cry out in shock, the cry turning into a scream when he saw the thing's features closer up. Everything seemed to have changed colour. Initially, the being had appeared to be varying shades of grey, but now that Jou's eyes were not clouded with fear, or expectations of what Diabound should look like, his body was many shades of brown. Blinking, Jou sat in the palm of the creature's hand, holding onto the block-like hill of a finger that had curled over to give the teenager something to hold onto.

Diabound murmured a few more words, and Jou vaguely saw the being's other arm curl back, an orb of light appearing in the palm of his hand. Taking rough aim, Diabound forced the magic forwards, flying out of his hand to collide with the walls of the tomb.

Jou's cries of surprise were suppressed by the deafening sound of debris falling onto the desert floor.

"BAKURA!" Diabound snarled, his voice's deep, loud vibrations muting everything for Jou once more. Another glowing sphere appeared in Diabound's hand, and he curled his arms around his head, hoping against hope that his hearing wouldn't be shot after this.

Through the mufflers against sound that were also known as his arms, Jou could hear the roar of the beast he was perched on, a battle cry so hauntingly shrill he thought he felt his entire body shake.

What the FUCK had he gotten himself into?

Yami's koi: An update… A shit one… But still an update. Reviews will make me write more.


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